Lunar
by Azreal425
Summary: A re-write of Twilight. When the Cullen family of vampires move to a small midwest town they encounter a particular girl that none of them can get out of their systems. Read and Reveiw
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters that are twilight related just the OCs in the story. This is a rewrite of Twilight, There is no Bella, sorry.

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"Can anyone tell me what location in the continental United State receives the most precipitation?" The stick thin grad student that was the teacher's aid for Environmental Biology asked. Several blurs shot through the air and Robin rolled her eyes, it was a lame question not worth putting her glasses back on much less raise her hand for.

"The Olympic Peninsula." A girl with a baby stripper voice said. "Well…" The grad student started. Robin slipped her dark purple angular cut CK glasses on watching the world refocus around her. "Well if you had bothered to do the reading you would know that it is actually this area, you know like the one we live in. The OP mist most days of the year, we have frequent rain storms and ice storms giving us the most precipitation, because of the intensity and frequency. " she sighed.

"Very good, that is correct, someone did the pre-lecture reading." He smiled at Robin as she adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her small nose, not really caring for his praises. "Well it is easy when you aren't blowing everything with a dick." she winked at the girl who went red with anger.

She stood and brushed her hand through the short hair on the back of her head. "Miss Gann…" the aid said looking at her with his mouth a gape. "Yeah, I know go to the office." She winked and pulled her North Face black book bag off the ground from beside her gray tartan Rocket Dog feet. She shuffled to the door pulling her shirt down where her bag had caused it to ride up reveling the little black rubber duck in the small of her back.

"Terrorizing Envio Bio this time Miss Gann?" the receptionist with long frizzy salt and pepper hair asked. "You know it Mrs. Lockheart." Robin winked at her grinning. It was a conversation Robin was very accustomed to having. She was ranked first in her class, and was a national merit scholar, a state ranked debater, an overall glowing high school transcript.

"You know, your academic record isn't going to protect you forever, you will have to start behaving at some point in your life." The old woman scolded. Robin simply smiled and crossed her long legs jiggling her foot. "Ah and I am sure I will be rad amounts of sorry when that day comes, but it isn't today." She shook her head. "It might be coming sooner then you think." The woman warned. "Your probably right." was all the tall brunette girl replied with.

A couple minutes passed in silence with Mrs. Lockheart typing away on her computer while Robin traced invisible patterns on her jeans with the tip of her index finger. A soft voice cleared her throat and Robin's head snapped up almost in time with the old secretary. Six people stood inside the office looking perfect, like living Greek statues. "Oh goodness me, why didn't you say anything Robin, how long were you letting them stand there?" Mrs. Lockheart scolded. "I didn't hear them either." Robin said raising her brow.

"Oh we just arrived, we spoke on the telephone earlier. I am Esme Cullen, I am here to enroll my five children." The woman said softly. Robin looked at her, brown eyes that were so light they were almost a golden topaz and caramel hair framing her heart shaped face. She looked like a mom only a young hot mom, a total milf as the guys called it. Robin heard a chuckle and looked past the woman.

"These are your children…" Mrs. Lockheart asked putting a voice to Robin's thought. She didn't look old enough to be the mother of a ten year old much less the five beings standing behind her, nor did they look related. "Yes, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice. The doctor and I adopted them." the woman smiled. "Oh, well here is the paper work, everything seems in order from the fax we received, it looks like all that is needed is a signature." the secretary said handing over a large stack of papers.

Robin watched fascinated as the woman began to sign the papers, the muscles in her forearm appeared to barely be moving and flexing as she wrote. It was strange almost not possible. "I love your glasses." a twinkling voice rang out cutting through Robin's thoughts. She blinked and it took her a second to realize that the petit girl with black pixie hair had been speaking to her. "Oh yeah, thanks." she shrugged and turned her attention back to their mother. "The purple really brings out the blue flecks in your eyes." she went on. Robin looked at the group of five, they were standing a good ten feet away from her, she shouldn't be able to see any of the flecks of color in Robin's stormy gray eyes. "Good call." she said standing up pulling down on her plain black boys tank top to cover her tattoo.

"Actually that is a really great outfit, plain but sort of classic meets punk chic." the tall leggy blond commented. Robin looked at her gray plad print shoes, up her own long legs at her naturally distressed jeans and then at the girls again. "It's just jeans and a beater." she shrugged. "Well still you look great. It is really chic with an I don't care sort of attitude about it, must take you forever to get that bed head look perfect." The shorter girl smiled. "Not really, shower and run a palm full of mousse and go, it is pretty easy with curly hair." Robin shrugged and turned her attention back to the mother still signing away.

Out of the corner of her blurry vision she thought she saw the golden haired lean boy elbow one of the girls. "Your hair is naturally that curly and you keep it in a stacked bob at your face, that is really brave." "Not a lot of girls could pull it off." The blonde girl started and was finished by the shorter girl. "Thanks, glad to know Barbie fashionista and Scene fashionista give my looks the thumbs up approval." Robin said sarcastically. "Robin!" Mrs. Lockheart exclaimed. "What? Just because they are new doesn't mean they are immune to my special brand of hostile indifference." She shrugged, everyone was treated the same no matter how good looking and new they were.

"Well you should attempt…." Mrs. Lockheart began as Esme finished with the stack of paper. Suddenly there was a sense of ease that filled her and Robin bit the inside of her cheek to fight off the emotion that didn't make sense. "Well it doesn't matter does it, whatever they were trying to distract me from noticing has passed. No harm no foul." she shrugged. Mrs. Lockheart opened her mouth the apples of her cheeks red. "You have to excuse Robin her par…"

Robin's vision went blurry with anger and she sort of tuned out the words of the secretary. How dare she open her fucking mouth about something so personal. "No, you don't need to excuse me. I am a big girl, and I'll excuse myself if I damn well feel like it." She turned to face Mrs. Lockheart and pointed her index finger at her. "And you, don't you ever presume that it's ok to tell people my parents are dead and that somehow explains my shitty attitude." She pulled a purple ball point pen out of her pocket and signed the clip board to check out.

She pushed passed Esme and wormed her way through the five other bodies trying to be not touch any of them, but failing to do so with the mountain of a boy. She slammed the door open to the front of the school stalking out. She looked in the parking lot for her old racing green Aston Martin, her father's pride and joy. Next to it was a silver Volvo station wagon.

Careful not to ding the only other nice car in the lot she slid into her car carefully, throwing her bag in the passenger seat. She slid her glasses up her forehead and rubbed her kohl rimmed eyes that were already smearing as a result of the tears building in her eyes. Her fingertips came back black and a glimpse of her blurry reflection in the mirror confirmed she had raccoon eyes.

While tearing up was characteristic for her the streams of black tears that were falling was not. Typically she reserved her crying behind the locked doors of her huge empty house. It was as if something was pushing her for that big cry. On the inside of her eyelids she could see word for word the articles that had covered her parents mugging and murder, the legal documents she still received daily about this or that.

She pressed her cheek against the cool glass trying to use the sensation to physically calm herself down. Her eyes snapped open as someone tapped the glass beside her closed eyes. She lets her glasses slip down her forehead and into place over here eyes letting the six figures come into focus. Of course, the new kids and their mother, Esme.

Robin took a deep breath and rolled the window down. "Can I help you?" she asked her voice smooth and even, the best she could get to her normal sound after sobbing. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright." She said softly. Well at least she hadn't said something insulting and idiotic like 'You seem upset.' "Just allergies, that is why I am rocking the glasses today." she replied evenly sounding devoid even to her own ears. "Of course dear, if you would like we could follow you home to make sure those allergies don't drive you off the road in all this wet." Esme smiled.

Robin shook her head and took a deep breath. The last thing she needed was the new model perfect kids at her school thinking she couldn't handle herself, after her little scene in the office taking up on the offer would only cement it. "No, I am fine. Thanks anyway." She forced a smile. "Well if your sure." Esme said her voice making it seem like she would be more comfortable if Robin merely said yes. Robin's eyes darted to the gaggle of teen perfection that stood behind her. "I'm sure." She said turning her car on and rolling up the window.

She waited for them to file into their car and for her windows to de-fog before pulling out. She drove slowly through the main street that turned into a country highway just as the small town ended that would carry her most of the way home. She saw that the cop was at the Quick Trip and sped up. She checked her rear view mirror once to see if he had finished his trip, the token police officer was missing but the silver Volvo was keeping pace behind her. She bit the inside of her cheek annoyed, she didn't need an escort home.

She shifted and started to drive faster now going high enough over the speed limit that she would be spending the night in jail if she was pulled over. Yet the silver car was still behind her. Just calm down it is a main road, she told herself. She turned her radio on to listen to alternative station they got from the big town an hour away.

She slowed considerable as she turned off the old highway to an even older highway that her old graveled road shoot into. The Volvo took the turn faster then she had and it sort of annoyed her, now they really were following her. She considered break checking them but it would break a piece of her heart if her father's car was rear ended.

She just turned on her gravel road and doubted they would follow. The road looped around connecting a couple miles up the road only her own house and one other unoccupied house sat one the road acres apart. Her parents had bought the house because of it's seclusion far away from their fast paced world.

"Mother fucker!" she exclaimed seeing the Volvo drive through the narrow parting of trees that lined the road. She pressed on the gas pedal to kick her car into more then a crawl and started down the road. She bypassed her own gravel driveway, for some reason she didn't want them to see her lonely big house. It was to sad. Instead she drove forward and pulled into the long drive way of the other house that was clearly unoccupied if they bothered to look and eventually they would get tired of waiting for her to get out or pull away right?

The car pulled in behind her and after a few seconds honked. Robin growled and turned her engine off and got out of the car. The Volvo was put in park and the window rolled down. Robin stamped to the window and leaned down to look into the face of the lean boy who looked like his hair was spun gold. "I appreciate you following me home and all but if you could kindly vacate my drive way that would be cool." She said her tone snarky. "You live here?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do. I know it looks desolate, but it is just me…" She turned to point at the house and her mouth fell open. The sign in the yard had already been removed, and it looked like people were living there. "Really you live here?" he asked his brow cocked. "That is what I said." she shrugged. Knowing her luck he knew she was lying or even worse they lived there. He just grinned at her lopsided. "Look I live really close, and I didn't want you to follow me home so I came here ok?" she asked annoyance slipping into her voice.

She rolled her eyes as the two other boys, the one the size of a mountain and he wiry built brother chuckling. "So sue me I didn't want Paul Bunion and the Golly Giant back there to know where I lived." Robin pot shot at them. "So my sisters are a scenester and Barbie, and my brothers are mythical giants, any glaring stereotype you want to throw at me?" he asked calm despite the harshness of his words. "Edward!" Esme said a little shocked. "Look your right, it isn't fair of me to say those things, if you want to just leave so I can go to my real house that would be rocking." she said motioning with her hands. "Ok." He shrugged and put the car in reverse.

As he rolled back out of the drive way she climbed into her own car and turned it on. She waited until she had enough room to roll back and then put her car in drive and pulled forward. To her complete and utter horror instead of driving off the Volvo pulled back into the driveway and further up the drive. "Perfecto." She sighed and shook her head making the short drive to her own house.

She pulled into the drive way and opened the garage and parked the car closing the big door behind her. Her mother's pull me over red lotus that screamed tacky sat there a film of dust on it. No matter how tacky the car was she would rather chop off her own hand before selling either car. They represented her parents' dream cars something they had wanted and then achieved. So she had sold her little Jetta because she didn't need three cars, but couldn't even begin to part with the car she would never drive.

She grabbed her bag and hauled it inside slinging it down just inside the door to the house. She looked at the clock, it was barely past noon, she was home hours before she was accustomed to being there. She had just enough time to grab a glass of orange juice before she was bum rushed.

She carefully set the glass down before bending to rub the heads of the two shar pei dogs. One was a light yellow the other black, both incredibly loving and wrinkled. "That is my good girls." she cooed to the dogs. After petting them for a while she stood and groaned looking at the stack of papers she needed to sign to finalize the deed transfer to the house from her parents to herself.

Her father had been cool and collected, level headed and her mother had been the creative force behind their business ventures. When they had started traveling out of state and even country for work they had emancipated Robin so she would not be crippled by their frequent absences. Then after her last remaining grandparent had passed they had changed their wills and living wills to make her executor. Of course her father hadn't foreseen that the position would be filled so quickly.

Now with the help of her lawyer she was getting everything switched into her name. All things considered she was pretty well off, she had enough money to live more then comfortably and her trust and college fund were still in place. It wasn't enough though, though her parents were always gone she still missed them. Her phone didn't ring their ring tones any more. She didn't get funky post cards with sensible advise from them anymore. Robin Elaine Gann was completely alone in the world.

Jade started to jump around while Butternut barked at her and it snapped Robin back into reality. This was her life now, she just had to deal. "You girls want out?" she asked causing the dogs to start barking loudly. She grinned at them all be it a little sadly and opened the door to the back desk so they could run down the stairs to the fenced in back yard.

She grabbed her juice and the stack of papers and went downstairs to the finish basement. There were a row of red leather recliner chairs in front of a huge flat screen tv. On the left there was a home gym, the right there was a fully stocked bar. As a child her parents had sat there drinking cocktails while paying bills. It was a habit she had fallen into. She poured a little vodka into her juice and sat down to start signing the papers.

After that was done she stood and moved to the fax machine to send everything to the lawyer. She sighed and moved with her screwdriver to look out the door watching the dogs play in the backyard. She glanced at the home gym her father had used, like everything else what was hers she didn't use it was covered in dust. She refused to let the cleaner touch the things as if the grim would preserve the essence of the last time they had been used. She had to let the woman who cleaned go over her refusal to let the dust remain there any longer.

Her attention was turned to the back yard as the dogs stopped playing instead they started to whimper. She frowned and opened the door setting her glass down on the table that surrounded the hibachi grill they had never used. "Jade, Butter what is the matter?" She asked walking out into the yard. The dogs ran past her inside the house. She bit her lower lip her brows reaching almost into her hair.

"What's out here that spooks my girls?" she wondered out loud. She peered out into the tree line squinting looking for some sort of animal. She could feel it looming out there, but she couldn't see it. She went closer to the fence and stood on her tip toes. "I can feel out there some where." She whispered and rubbed her bare arms before turning. She felt a little strange her back to the woods and ran inside making sure to lock the door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

Once she was inside Robin felt like she was being a little silly with the whole thing. She lived with her house right against the woods and her dogs were afraid of deer. "Some guard dogs you are." she laughed watching her dogs wag their tails at her. "Let's go up stairs." she sighed and lead the dogs up the flight of stairs.

She opened the fridge and pulled out some left over pizza. She took a bite and held it with her mouth as she dug in the fridge for something to dip the pizza in. She took piece and tore it in half tossing it to the dogs while she pulled out some garlic infused bread dipping oil with her free hand. All in all a lame lunch but it was better then cardboard pizza with bits of corn stuck on it she would have received at school.

She poured the oil into a bowl and grabbed two more slice laying them on the rim of the bowl. Then she went to the couch and sat down turning on Oprah. She ate slowly tearing pieces of the pizza throwing them to the dogs. She made a face as the dogs stopped taking the bits of pizza and hunkered down.

Robin stood up setting her bowl aside. She moved to the front of the house where the grand twelve person oak dining table sat in front of a picturesque bay window. She peeked out of the window her mouth hanging open. The new guy Edward was about to knock on her front door. "What the hell?" she asked shaking her head. He looked over at the window and she dropped down to the floor on her hands and knees.

A knock sounded at the front door and the dogs started to bark. "Shh, we are not home." she hissed pressing herself against the floor below the window. What was going on, how had he know where she had lived, she said she lived close not down the road. Not to mention his intent, she hasn't been exactly friendly, if they were looking to make friends they were at the wrong door.

It wasn't that she hated them, they just made her edgy. All to perfect looking and just, she couldn't place it but it was there. She ignored the knocks holding her breath willing him to go away. He stopped knocking and she couldn't but help feel like he was looking in the large window trying to peer in.

She laid there waiting until the dogs came over and nuzzled against her before she let her breath loose. "That was a close call." she laughed nervously. After rough housing with the dogs she stood up and grabbed her discarded food no longer hungry. She split it up between the dogs and then went to her parents room and curled up on their massive California King bed. She picked up the remote for the stereo and hit the play button so the cd she had in there played. It was a little sad, her parents would listen to smooth jazz and giggle like school kids in here while they were home. It had always grossed her out but now she would give anything for the disgusting noises.

She fell asleep somewhere between the Steve Miller Band and Rise Against in the middle of the large bed. In her dreams she dreamed of the five of the new kids and Esme standing at the large bay window knocking. Their strange topaz eyes glowing at her inhumanly as they smiled at her knocking on the other side. For some reason it was appealing and frightening at the same time.

Then her dream turned nightmarish as Edward started to sing the same Say Anything lyric over and over again. "I'm the spider, I'm the spider crawl inside her." while the others chanted at her. "I can feel you out there some where." She felt like she was being pulled toward the window no matter how she tried to fight the urge.

Once she reached the pane Edward stepped through his hand held out towards her. Once she was within grasp with inhuman speed he pulled her into him. Despite the swiftness of his actions the world seemed to slow down. His lips were on hers and the kiss was explosive in slow motion, as if she were trying to consume him and he like wise with her. She tugged on his lip playfully but it was to rough and she nicked his lower lip. Instead of blood welling there tiny little spiders began to crawl out of the wound.

Robin screamed and backed away as Edward started to sing the same line over and over again while the spiders crawled toward her in a black wave. Right as she was about to have the first of the spiders crawl up her she was yanked out of the bad dream and into the real world.

It took her a second to realize that she was awake and in her sleep had rolled on to the remote causing The Spider Song to repeat. She laughed and shook her head climbing out of the bed. Her little cat nap had lasted longer then she anticipated and it was twilight outside.

She pushed herself off the bed and opened the door the dogs jumping up excitedly wanting to go out. "Yeah one second." she grumbled and went to the deck door opening it. It smelled fresh like it was going to rain again. "Make it quick." she told the animals leaving the door cracked open a little. Then she made her way to the front bay window looking at it. It didn't seem scary or ominous, just the same window she had grown up looking out of while she sketched.

She noticed something on the front porch and frowned. She moved to the front door and opened it. On the front porch there was a white casserole dish. She bent down and picked it up it was still relatively warm. She opened it and took a deep whiff, cheesy broccoli chicken and rice filled her nostrils. "Esme…" she shook her head.

She grabbed her jacket and pulled it on and slipped her shoes on taking the dish in hand. She pulled the door closed behind her. She looked at the dish and made a face. She had went through that phase where everyone thought what the girl with the dead parents needed was a good home cooked meal. She wondered if it occurred to people it just made her more sad like a little jab at something she would never had her own mother make.

She made the hike to the house that had sat empty for years and wished she had brought her car instead. "You are so lame." she told herself as she started to make her way up the driveway. What sane person took off food gift in hand on foot to return it? No one that was who she thought to herself. The closer she got to the house the slower she walked trying to minimize her noise. Once she was at the front porch she had slowed her movements to make snails look like jaguars as the dream replayed in her head.

She bent down laying the casserole dish gently on the stoop. Before she could stand up she was bathed in light for a split second. Then she was shadowed again. "Damn automatic lights." she grumbled and stood up hoping to escape without being noticed. Then she saw the large body builder type standing in the door way. "Hey." he said looking at her brow raised. "Hey, I am Robin. Paul Bunion right?" she asked running a hand through her hair. "Actually I am Emmett." he replied. "Right, sorry about that." she made a face.

He raised a brow at her then looked at the food on the step. "What are you allergic to niceness?" he teased. Robin crossed her arms over her chest. "No, I hate when people do stuff like this. It reminds me of all the food my mom will never cook for me, you know if she had cooked. Or how about you guys are so perfect it makes a normal gal like me nervous. Or for a third option we could go with I am allergic to green things." she said sarcastically. "That was a lot of or's, also that allergy must be pretty painful with that sweet Aston Martin you drive." he chuckled.

"Whatever, please just tell Esme I said thank you and I like it but it just, yeah can't happen." she shrugged turning to leave. "What is going on?" the pixie girl asked opening the door open further. "Awesome, this isn't awkward at all. E…someone left this on my porch and I was just returning it." Robin nodded. "Oh, well it is one of Esme's favorites I am sure she will appreciate the speedy return on it. So did you like it?" she asked. Robin coughed and looked away. "No Alice, I guess she is allergic to perfectly green food her mother might have made if she had cooked." he chuckled. Robin stood her mouth open. He was an asshole who said stuff like that. "What just because your parents are no longer with you means only you can say rude things?" he asked. Robin wanted to slap him, if he hadn't been being truthful she would have, or maybe not with him being the size of a small nation. "I guess I deserved that one."

"I was pretty out of line this morning." she said after an awkward pause. "I just, was not in a good mood and then you were there and it felt like you were making fun of me a little." she shrugged. There was more silence and she felt compelled to fill it. "You know your all blindingly beautiful and you know I am painfully not." she motioned to her body and sighed. "What are you talking about we were being serious." Alice said. "Ok well now that that is cleared up…" she looked up as lightning flashed ahead and thunder crashed and it started to pour down the rain she had smelt before. "Awesome. She grumbled. "I am just going to uh yeah." she pointed with her thumb down the driveway. "Where is your car?" Alice asked pulling Robin who was already soaked inside.

Robin stiffened, their house was sort of similar to hers, stairs leading up stairs leading down, and a nice open layout making the stair case the only thing that obstructed the view of the whole first level. She hugged herself and rubbed her upper arms. "Oh Robin, what a lovely surprise." Esme said coming around the stairs from the kitchen. "Well I just wanted to return you casserole." Robin said pushing her glasses up her wet nose.

"You didn't have to, I just suspected you might want some comfort food after today." Esme smiled. "Well, thank you." Robin said finding it hard to turn it down to Esme's face. She shifted uncomfortably running her hand through her hair. "Well I should go." She looked guiltily at the puddle gathering at her feet. "Where is your car?" Alice repeated. "Oh I left it at the bottom of the driveway." Robin nodded. "Well if you would like I could send one of the boys to get it while you warm up." Esme offered.

Robin blushed looking at her and shook her head. "It's ok no big deal." The front door opened and Edward entered the house with another man, who of course had the topaz gold eyes of the other and was as painfully beautiful. Like Esme he radiated compassion and was a little older then the others. She assumed that he was her husband, the doctor if she remembered the conversation between Esme and Mrs. Lockheart correctly.

"Oh I was unaware we had a guest." The man spoke. "I was just on my way out." Robin said shifting uncomfortably from leg to leg. "Robin this is my husband Carlisle, he works at the hospital. Dear this is Robin, she lives in that big house down the road, and goes to the children's school." Esme smiled going to Robin's side offering her the hand towel in her hands.

Robin started to dry herself off with the hand towel gratefully. "Edward, beings you just passed it would you be as kind as to pull Robin's car up the drive?" Esme asked causing Robin to freeze. "No it anyone is pulling the Aston Martin up it is me." the blond who had to be… Rosalie said coming down the stairs. That was all she needed, the living embodiment of beauty throwing herself in the mix. Surely there was a quota to how many perfect people could be in a room.

"Well if the car was sitting outside I would let you Rose, but it isn't out there." Edward shrugged grinning at Robin crookedly. She shook her head, why was he so insufferable all of the time. "Well, Rose dear if you could get her cleaned up while we call the police…" Esme started. "No!" Robin shook her head. "I walked, I live just down the road so I walked. But it is embarrassing to be caught like this so I would rather walk back soaking wet then admit I need help getting home when my legs can just carry me there." Robin sighed trying no to let the now sopping hand towel drip anymore then she had in her puddle.

"Oh don't be ridiculous. You could get sick that way." Carlisle spoke shaking his head. "Yes, he is right, please just wait for a while for it to pass if you insist on walking. You could have some of that casserole." Esme smiled softly. "I…" Robin sighed, she had been past rude to Edward before and still they were being so nice to her. "There is casserole?" Carlisle asked. "Well, I made it for Robin but if she doesn't object we could all share it." Esme smiled.

Robin sighed, it felt like a trap, a well constructed trap. Of course that was absorbed, she was the one who had brought the food back right before a rain storm. There was no way they could have known she would do that. "Yeah, ok." She nodded. "Perfect, Rose?" Esme beamed.

"Ok, you look like you are about my size, follow me." Rosalie motioned with her hand. "Yeah, sure." Robin forced a smile. She followed the leggy girl up the stairs and into the second room on the left. "Go ahead and strip out of those wet clothes." Rosalie instructed. "Great." Robin said sarcastically. What she always wanted was to get semi naked in front of a supermodel.

She pulled her wet beater off of her body and over her head as Rosalie disappeared into her closet. "So, you guys are all adopted?" Robin asked after she had stripped down to everything save her under ware. "Yeah, Jasper and I are brother and sister, and the others are our cousins. Pretty much our parents passed and we went to live with out uncle and his new wife. Pretty much the same thing happened to the others." She said from in the closet. Robin opened her mouth to say sorry but then closed it again.

"So how about you, you drive a pretty nice car and live in an awful big house to be orphaned." Rosalie said over the sound of pulling clothes down from somewhere in the closet. "Well my parents only died last year, it's their stuff. I just inherited it all. My grandfather passed and they re wrote the wills not expecting that they would really need me to inherit the stuff at age seventeen." Robin said softly. "They traveled a lot for work, and I was emancipated when I was sixteen so I could you know sign for permission slips, and consent to anything I might have to while they were gone." she went on. "Well, I guess that means your parents trusted you." Rosalie smiled peaking out of the closet. "I guess they did." Robin replied.

Rosalie exited the closet with some jeans, a tank top, and track jacket. "Here." She offered them to Robin. "Thanks." Robin said staking the stack. "I guess it is pretty lucky that you and I are roughly the same size." she nodded. "Yeah, pretty lucky." Robin agreed pulling the jeans on.

After Robin was dressed she followed Rosalie into the bathroom to dry her hair a little more. "So why are you being so nice to me?" Robin blurted out. "Well that is just how Esme and Carlisle are, personally I am in it for the car." Rosalie grinned. "Yeah, it is an amazing car, way better then my Mom's Lotus." She shook her head. "You have a Lotus and an Aston Martin?" Rosalie asked. "They were my parents, I can't bring myself to get rid of them. My mom has wanted a Lotus since she saw Pretty Woman, and my Dad he just had classic taste like that." She said a little breathlessly feeling tears wanting to well up.

"Well, if you ever need someone to drive one of those cars you know who to ask." Rosalie grinned. "Yeah, sure." Robin nodded. Alice popped her head into the bathroom and grinned. "Dinner is ready. You look really good." she smiled. "Oh yes, I make the drowned rat look fierce." Robin said snapping on the last word. "Wow, just wow." Rosalie shook her head. "You just dropped a million cool points." she said still shaking her head. "I tossed my cool points out the window a long time ago." Robin giggled.

Robin followed the two gorgeous girls down the stairs to the kitchen with a breakfast nook consumed by a huge table. It was set for eight places with the casserole, a salad, and glasses of water for everyone. "Oh there you look much better." Esme smiled. "Here have a seat." she said puling out a chair. "Thanks." Robin said sitting in the offered chair. She watched as Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Rosalie, Alice, and Emmett gliding around gathering the last few things before filling in the chairs around her.

"Where is the other one…" Robin paused and mentally ticked off the names of the kids. "Jasper?" she asked hoping she had remembered the right name. "He had a few things to take care of." Esme smiled. "Well shall we?" Carlisle asked. Then he started to serve himself food from the dish and pass it around before making a bowl of salad.

Once the food was doled out everyone started to eat and an uneasy silence filed the room. After a few minutes Carlisle opened his mouth. "So you live in the house down the road?" he asked looking at Robin. "Yeah, me and the dogs, two of them Shar Peis a black one Jade, and a yellow on Butternut." she nodded. "Oh, I didn't know anyone lived there." he said. "Well since my parents died, I sort of have let the place go." she admitted sheepishly. "Well I am sorry to hear that. Sometimes people let those things go in their grief and then it just becomes an overwhelming task to right those things." He offered. Typically she would be offended by the comment but he seemed so earnest she couldn't really get angry.

"Yeah, pretty much, I don't know and some things it feels like if I clean, I will be wiping away what's left of them." robin said softly surprising herself. "Well, if you ever want some help, I would be more then happy to." Esme offered quickly. Robin just nodded silently and started to work on her salad.

A few minutes passed in silence and Alice spoke up. "So we start tomorrow at school will you be there?" Robin shrugged. "Maybe Between my stellar grades, and my personal tragedy the school pretty much leaves me alone no matter what I do." "Really? That seems odd." Esme said. "Well not really I have been emancipated a while, so they are used to being pretty autonomous." Robin shrugged again. "That is pretty cool." Emmett offered. "I guess, never really have thought about it." she shrugged.

"So what classes are you in?" Robin asked trying to switch gears. "Well, Rose and me have pretty much the same schedule. Composition, Calc, Chemistry, Gym for her weight training for me, Art, then American History." he shrugged. "Ah good old schedule A." Robin nodded. "Schedule A?" Rosalie asked. "Well it is a small school, there is pretty much only four different schedules for each grade." Robin explained. "Then with there beings so many of you guys, they probably stuck you all with the same schedule right?" she asked.

Edward nodded. "Well Alice, Jazz, and I do have the same schedule." "Let me guess, hmm Geometry, Envio Bio, Lit, Choir, World Civilizations, and Gym for Alice, Weight Lifting for the guys?" She asked looking at Alice turning her face from Edward. "How did you know?" Alice asked looking amazed. "Well, that is schedule D for juniors, it is the emptiest schedule block." Robin chuckled. "Oh what scheduling block are you in?" Carlisle asked. "Junior block D." she said. She just knew that her empty classes would be filled with the perfect little trio. "That is great, I guess it is very fortunate you live so close then." Esme smiled. "Perfecto." Robin said flatly.

"Well I have a question is lunch all together? We all have the same lunch block after third period." Rosalie asked. "Yeah, the whole school has that as lunch period." Robin nodded. "Well tomorrow maybe you all can have lunch with Robin and her friends." Carlisle suggested looking at Edward. If I had friends. Robin though dryly.

"Well, thank you for dinner." Robin said once she had finished. "It was delicious." she complimented truthfully. It was much better then the take out and fast food she had been living off of. "Well your welcome here anytime." Esme smiled. "Of course just let us know to set an extra place and your more then welcome." Carlisle nodded. "Thanks, I can help clean up if you would like." Robin offered. "Oh no you're a guest." Esme shook her head. "If you want, you can stay and hang out for a while." Alice counter offered. "I should really get going." she shook her head.

"Ok well, if you change your mind…" She pulled out a napkin from the center of the table and started to scrawl her number on it. Rosalie grabbed it and wrote her number as well. "Or you want some help with those cars." she grinned handing it to Robin. "Right, well I guess I see you guys around." Robin said stuffing the napkin in the pocket of the barrowed jeans. "I will get these cleaned and back to you tomorrow Rosalie." She motioned to the clothes standing up. "No it's ok they look good on you, keep them if I can barrow your cute tank top." she said quickly. "Sure, whatever you want." Robin nodded.

A loud clap of thunder sounded overhead and Robin groaned. "I can give you a ride." Emmett offered standing. Robin hesitated but then nodded. "Well, I am blocking you in Em, I'll do it." Edward said quickly. Robin swallowed and bit her lip. After her creepy dream the last thing she wanted was to ride in a car alone with Edward. But what could she really say? I dreamed about your family and it was creepy until you and I started making out then it was horrifying? Not. "Ok yeah." she nodded.

She followed Edward to the garage after saying good bye to the others. She slid into the silver Volvo's passenger seat. Edward got in and turned the car on. "So… everyone seems nice." she said nervously as Edward hit the radio button. "I'm growing legs, I'm growing legs…" The Say Anything song fired up from where it had left off. The Spider Song. Robin hit the button as Edward backed out. "What you don't like Say Anything?" He asked looking over at her. "Oh I do, just that song… it reminds me of." She shook her head unable to think of anything to say. "Alright." was all he said.

They spent the short drive in silence with no radio. Edward turned onto her driveway and pulled up parking his car. "I'll walk you up." he said looking over at her. "Ok." She nodded biting her lower lip. She opened her door and climbed out of the car. He joined her and pushed her door closed. He held an umbrella over their heads as they went to the door. She frowned seeing the porch light off and the house so dark. "Wasn't your light on before, I mean today?" Edward asked. "Yeah, it is always on…" She opened the door the dogs barking.

It was pitch black inside and Robin flicked the light switch. "Fuck my life." she groaned when it didn't respond. The dogs ran up soaking wet and muddy leaving paw prints where they went. "What? How did?" she sighed remembering she had left the door open for them to get back in when she had turned them loose. "Awesome, look you should go, I have a lot of work to do." She made a face turning to face him. Once the dogs saw Edward they started to growl.

"Jade, Butter no!" Robin rebuked. She grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him into a kneeling stance. "See, friend." she said offering his hand in hers for the dogs to inspect. After a few seconds they tentatively wagged their tails and licked their combined hands. "See good girls, he is alright." she cooed. Edward chuckled and she looked at him blushing. "Sorry, I.. Wow it is more cold in here then I thoughts. Your hand is like ice." she said looking down at his hand in hers. His hand felt cold and hard to the touch, almost unnaturally cold.

He pulled his hand from hers and stood up. "You shouldn't have done that." he shook his head. "Done what? I wouldn't want them to attack you, bad form after your Mom fed me." She made a face. "I guess, look do you want some help with this?" he asked. "No, I'll be ok." She smiled her fake smile at him. She would be ok she always was broadcast the smile.

"You don't have to do that you know? Always pretend your ok. It's natural to not want to be alone." he sighed. "But I am alone." she snapped. Guttural sounds of more words fell out of her mouth and she closed it. She was grateful for the dark that held the her silent streaming tears in confidence. "Look the open door probably kicked on the furnace, and it blew your amp running constantly. I find your breaker box and take a look. Esme would kill me if she knew I left you like this." Edward said slowly. Robin nodded taking a deep breath. "It's in the garage." she said after a few tries.

He moved away from her to find the garage. After a minute or so she moved the door to the deck shut it groaning at the puddle she had to stand in to do so. After that she went to the closet by the garage door to get a mop. As she grabbed it the lights flickered back on. Edward emerged from the garage and grinned. His lopsided smile at her "There you're all set." he nodded. "Yeah, thanks." she nodded gripping the mop.

"You sure your going to be ok?" he asked. Not wanting to rehash the scene with the lights on she just nodded. "Ok well I guess I will see you at school." he said . "Yeah, see you." She said as he moved towards the front door. Robin walked with him and closed the front door behind him locking it. Once she was done she turned her face set against the mess that looked back at her. "At least I got in a good nap today." she sighed starting to mop.


	3. Chapter 3

Robin's eyes flickered open in irritation as the big bed shook with the vibration of the phone as the alarm sounded higher pitched with each passing second. She felt like she had only just fallen into bed after cleaning up the watery mess the dogs had wrought on the house. She sighed and turned the alarm off contemplating whether or not she should roll out of bed. One of the dogs scratching at the door sealed the answer as a yes.

She stood and opened the door, Jade laid stretched out in front of it while Butternut stood from just having pawed the door. "Morning ladies." she yawned and slapped her bare thigh just below where her sleeping shorts ended. Jade jumped up and started toward the door while Butternut stayed at her heels as she padded to the deck door.

She turned them loose and then turned right back around to go shower for school. Robin was not a morning person and had to shower just to have some semblance of being alive any time before noon. Her morning ritual was fairly normal until she applied her conditioner. She coated her hair with the Graham Webb Ice Cap conditioner and then started to brush her teeth so it could set and work it's magic. What was out of the norm was the cool tingling sensation of the peppermint oil reminded her of Edward's cold hand in her own last night.

It was the first time he had been even remotely approachable. She closed her eyes and ran her hand over her slathered head so her palm would tingle with coolness. She pictured his lopsided smile and his strange alluring eyes and then snapped her gray orbs open. "Oh stop it he isn't that good looking." she growled to the shower wall rinsing her hand. Who was she kidding, he was that good looking.

She rinsed her mouth and then bit her lower lip as she grabbed her body wash. After washing her body and face she finally rinsed her hair removing the bulk of the tingling sensation. She got out of the shower and toweled off the excess water before wrapping the towel around her body.

Fifteen minutes later, she was ready to walk out of the door. Robin beamed, she went from dead asleep to ready to go in thirty minutes. She went to the deck door and let the dogs back in before leading them to the fridge. She opened it and poked around before grabbing the pizza box and closing the door with her foot. "No wonder you guys are getting so fat." she said tossing the remaining slices in their bowls. She hadn't bought dog food in ages, she just gave them whatever she ate and they were lazy.

She stuffed the box behind the trashcan on it's side before rubbing each dog's head lovingly. "Ok ladies, I will see you after school. Behave, no wild parties, no boys, and don't fight with each other." she said in mock seriousness. She stood up and shook her head. If it weren't for the dogs she probably forget what her voice sounded like.

She grabbed the track jacket Rosalie had loaned her and shrugged, she had said Robin could keep it and it would look good over her Seether shirt. She pulled it on and zipped it half way before grabbing her book bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

Robin went into the garage and opened the door so she could back out her car and paused at the steps. Once the morning light filled the garage she made a face and stepped down towards the Lotus. On the hood in the dust was written: Drive me, or at least clean me. "Maybe tomorrow." she smiled shaking her head climbing in the Aston Martin instead.

She turned the car on and let it back out of the drive way at a crawl. She was about to back onto the road when the silver Volvo flew past filled with it's beautiful occupants. She sighed waiting for the dust the car had kicked up to settle before backing on to the road. "I suppose that is something I have to get used to, this isn't my own private road anymore."

Once she was on the main road where there was no gravel to ding the paint she sped up to catch up with Edward's silver car. She watched as he raised his brow in the rear view mirror and Alice spun in her seat to waved at her. She gave a slight nod to her and barely had enough time to react as Edward break checked her. "You asshole." She growled and shifted her car up another gear and moved to drive in the opposite lane.

She pressed the gas pedal until her car was parallel to his. Then she let her head lull to the side to look at him over the tops of her glasses. While she looked at him her eyes burning with fire she maintained his same speed keeping even with him in the opposite lane. In that moment her vision seemed to sharpen making everything in the world focus only on Edward Cullen. The music from her radio was drowned out, everything was by far secondary to focusing on him.

Edward pointed ahead of them with an index finger as he gripped the wheel and then suddenly dropped back. Robin's head snapped forward and the world started to move again. A large gravel truck was honking it's horn as it skidded towards her car; the momentum carrying it though the driver had hit the brakes. Without thinking she slammed the wheel hard to the right so that she moved into her own lane.

She gritted her teeth hearing the sound of road side weeds dragging under the undercarriage. She refused to let him think he had won, or even frightened her. All she could do was pull the car back onto the pavement and check her rear view mirror. The truck had finally stopped and the driver was out of his truck, phone pressed to his ear. Edward's car following dutifully behind her.

Robin yelled in frustration hitting the wheel. Why did he have to do that? It was as if he was purposefully pressing her buttons to see how far he could take it. She turned the sharp corner on to the main road that would lead to town. She did so without touching her brakes so her car fish tailed a little as she cleared the turn and her tires squalled in protest.

As Edward did the same she yelled again and slammed the radio up to it's loudest setting. Then turned it to the rock station. High Way to Hell flooded her car and for some reason the cheesy rock anthem seemed to fit her mood. As she approached the town limits she slowed to adhere to the strictly enforced speed limit and was pleased Edward's car load of perfection was forced to the same pace.

Her feeling of elation passed as the white Crown Victoria slipped between her car and Edward's and hit it's cherries. Robin groaned and pulled over to the shoulder of the road. She rolled down her window and plastered a smile on her face. "What can I do you for Officer Lemac?" she asked looking at the town's cop who once had been a defensive lineman but now sported a gut. He leaned against her window and her eyes watched as Edward's car slipped passed.

"Now I just got word of a little green sports car playin chicken out off the Interurban. Almost ran a Hunt Midwest truck off the road." he said in a lazy draw. "Wow, gee that sounds mighty serious. You should probably check that out." she smiled sweetly at him as she mocked him. "You don't know anything about that?" he asked looking over his too small aviator glasses. "Little ole me? You know I love this car more then that." She replied shaking her head. He backed away from the car and let a low whistle. She sucked in air and then let it out in a sigh as he pulled out a weed from under her car. "Now, I wonder how this bounced up into your undercarriage." He said holding it up for her to see.

She pulled her visor down and removed the clear pouch with her registration and insurance in it and slapped her license over it. "You wouldn't let me out of it if I started crying would you?" she asked holding them out the window. "I know you better then that little lady. I'll be back." he said turning with her information in hand.

Several minutes later ticket tucked into her bill fold she pulled away. She made the drive to school followed by the patrol car. She pulled into her spot Edward's car sat in the adjacent spot. The five model like siblings standing there ready to go in. Robin turned her car off and grabbed her bag.

She let it fall to the pavement by passing Emmett and Jasper talking about how she had handled the car so quickly. Her finger pointed at Edward and his smug face. He was so good looking and perfect as if nothing had happened. She flexed her hand into a fist and then out again. Then she shook both of her hands at him growling and then formed fists and shook them. "I.. You.. Ahh." she yelled and turned snatching her bag up. "Sleep well?" he asked smoothly. She pursed her lips and stalked past them all. She shook her head hearing Alice and Rosalie rebuke him.

"I wonder, what his name is…" "That blonde girl is hot, I am going to bone dizzle her." "That big dude could be boss on the team." "No way, the blonde one, he is totally the hottest." "OMG, could her hair be any more punky, it is way cute." "I wonder where they came from?" "What schedule do you think they have?" Robin pushed her way through all the comments and to her locker.

As Robin turned to leave her locker and found her way barred by Anna, the girl with the baby stripper voice. She reeked of to much Dolce and Gabanna Light Blue and wore make up that was to dark for her face. "What?" Robin asked flatly. Anna smiled sweetly at her. "So um, I just saw you uh talking…" she paused to insert a high pitched giggle meant to sound haughty. "to the new kids…" she paused again this time cocking her head to the side expectedly. "Your voice makes me want to punch you in the face" Robin said once again flat. "You are so rude." she said her mouth hanging open.

"That is really attractive, you should keep your face just like that when you introduce yourself." Robin snorted pushing her way past the girl. She made her way down the hall feeling people congregate by the doors offering the Cullen's guides to their lockers and around school. "You would think that none of them have seen a good looking person before." she shook her head. Truthfully she had never seen anyone as heartbreakingly beautiful before, much less so many of them at once.

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. At least she wasn't going to worship at their feet for being beautiful. Robin was better then all of the sheep she went to school with. "Hey, I'll pay for the ticket, even double so your insurance won't go up." Edward's voice cut through her thoughts. Robin's eyes snapped open. "What are you doing?" She asked taking longer quicker steps upset he had surprised her so easily.

"Walking you to class." he replied. "No, I am walking to class, you're walking to class. We just have the same class." Robin snapped. "Look, it's not a big deal. We are just walking." he shrugged nonchalantly. "But we aren't walking together." she said looking back at him. "And now we are." he said meeting her brisk pace. She stopped outside of the door abruptly and looked at him. "What is your deal?" she asked crossing her arms. "Deal, what deal? I am a normal seventeen year old guy and you're a beautiful girl." he smiled at her crookedly. Robin felt her cheeks flush and shook her head.

"Whatever you are, it isn't normal."

Robin felt as if Edward's eyes were burning through her very soul. Yet each time she stole a glance at him he was working intently on the quiz they had been given. The teacher wanted Jasper, Alice, and Edward to see if they could do any of the work to gauge where they were. Not surprisingly they each were working on their quizzes with the same ease as she was. Of course they would all be good students.

After the quiz Robin sat taking her meticulous notes in autopilot. Her hand moved independently writing down the teacher's words. Instead she studied Jasper sitting at her side. Blink, one, two, three, four, five, … thirteen, fourteen, blink. One, two, … thirteen, fourteen, blink. Every fifteenth count he blinked, like he was performing a habit rather then a natural function.

She shifted a little and stretched her legs out. This way she could study Alice while appearing natural. Her chest rose and fell with precision. Every seven counts inhale, then exhale. Her breathing was so even and perfectly in time it was as if she were peacefully sleeping. Robin turned her head a little wondering if she could catch any strange pattern Edward had fallen into. Instead she found him staring at her intently, like he was observing strange habits from her.

I wonder if I do something every so many counts, she wondered as the bell rang to let them leave for second period. Robin gathered her stuff ready to go to Envio Bio and looked up to see Edward standing at her side. "Can I help you?" she asked hotly. "As a matter of fact, you can. Would it be alright if I came over later and got together with you?." He asked scooping the arm full of books from Robin's hands so her arms could be free. "No. Can I have my books back?" she asked tilting her head to the side picking up her bag. "Why?" He asked starting to walk forcing Robin to do so as well. "Why can't you come over, or why do I want my books back?" she replied.

"Both." he said simply turning down the hall. "I would like my books back because I will need them in about three minutes. Do you even know where we are going?" she asked despite that he was walking in the right direction. "Environmental Biology room twenty-seven. You didn't answer the other why." he grinned looking over at her. "Where is Alice and Jasper?" she asked spinning to search for them.

Apparently Edward had been faster at not being caught by the fan club. "Look, I am sure there are tons of girls that would be more then ecstatic, to help you catch up." She said motioning to the crowd meandering toward them. "I didn't ask them. I asked you." he said. "I said no." She replied. "Why? You still haven't answered that." Edward grinned. "Because, you caused me to get a ticket this morning."

He smiled and leaned towards her, his topaz eyes sparkling. "I didn't do anything. I just was driving and the next thing I know Alice is out of her seat. I stopped thinking we had to go back, then you're giving me the evil eye while almost killing yourself." He gracefully put her books back in her arms. "Besides, I offered to pay that ticket." "You're lucky you just put these books in my arms, or I would knock you out right now." Robin nodded seriously. "Oh I don't doubt it." He laughed shaking his golden hair walking into the room.

Robin sat at her normal table spreading her things out. She watched as the tables started to fill up and everyone tried to entice Jasper, Alice, or Edward to sit at their lab table. Giggling she pointed at her free chair and shifted everything to be on her side. "Hey Alice!" she shouted to get the girl's attention.

Alice slid into the seat quickly leaving Edward and Jasper to claim a table to themselves. "Thanks, wow they are persistent." she laughed taking out her note book. "Funny, persistent, that is how I would describe my new neighbors." Robin laughed. "What does that mean?" Alice asked in mock offense. "It means that I just want to be left alone." Robin said flatly taking out her notebook. "If that is true then why did you let me sit with you?"

"It is only second hour and everyone wants a piece of your pie. I figure it would be nice for a break." Robin shrugged. The grad student came into the room walking awkwardly. "That's our teacher?" Alice asked skeptically. "Sort of this is for his dissertation or something." Robin explained. "Oh…" Alice nodded.

"So can anyone tell me.. Oh we have three new students." he said eyeing Robin as she removed her glasses from her nose and winked at him. "Good Morning Miss Gann, now would the three of you like to introduce yourselves?" he asked. "Lesson plan a little sketchy today Prof?" Robin asked grinning when his thin blob started to redden as the other students giggled.

"No, if you where in class yesterday you would be up to speed. Now, Miss Cullen?" he asked. Alice stood up confidently beside Robin. "I am Alice, I just moved to Platte City with my family from Los Angeles." Then she sat down quickly but not nervously. "That is all you got?" Robin hissed at Alice. "Oh shut up, I don't need to tell my life story. Can you even see without your glasses?" she hissed back in effort to be quite. Robin shook her head and looked over as Edward's form rose to the left of their table.

"I am Edward Cullen." Robin snorted hearing most of the girls in the room swoon. "I just moved here, Alice and Jasper are my brother and sister. I have two older siblings, Emmett and Rosalie. Our Mom works at home, and our Dad just started at St. Luke's in Kansas City." Edward sat down and looked at Jasper.

Jasper sat running his hand through his hair almost as if he was nervous where the other two had been rocks. "I am Jasper Hale." That was it, all he said. It was strange, he seemed much more distant then the others. He really had only talked to her once when she was to angry to respond.

Robin slipped her glasses back on so she could focus on Jasper. Edward looked over at them, it seemed he was looking past her at Alice. He raised his brow and then turned his attention to the front. Alice nudged Robin in the side. "So, Edward told me your dogs tracked in a bunch of water and mud last night during the storm. That sucks." she said sympathetically. "Mmmhmm." Robin nodded absently her eyes focused on Jasper.

"Right, so class for those of you were not with us yesterday. We are switching gears from the weather unit, expect the test to be on Friday. Miss Cullen and Mister Cullen along with Mister Hale your are excused from the test." The thin aid nodded before turning.

He scooped up papers from his open brief case. He passed them back and cleared his throat. "We are going to be focusing on local trees. These papers outline the project, and what you will be scored on. This is a partner project…" He was interrupted by Robin's hand shooting up. "As there is now an even amount of people in the class, EVERYONE will have a partner, no exceptions." he said Robin groaned and put her hand down.

"Now, I want you to pair off, once you have picked your partners I will assign everyone a tree." He smiled at them Robin groaned again feeling everyone's eyes on her. She was notorious for doing all the work to get the an A. She knew they were all looking for a nice fat grade booster. People stood up trying to get good partners. Jasper and Alice automatically paired off killing her idea of pairing with Alice.

"Robin…" she heard half a dozen voices bombard her. She closed her eyes feeling sorry, knowing how her gorgeous neighbors had spent the first part of the day. Her head was spinning and she felt like she was drowning in the sea of voices. A cool hand grabbed her wrist loosely and her eyes shot open.

"You ok you look a little overwhelmed, like your drowning." Edward said looking at Robin searching her face. She wondered how he seemed to be able to read her. It was like Edward Cullen was dialed into her frequency no matter how hard she fought. "Edward partner with me." Her mouth ordered before her brain could register her words.

He grinned at her the others standing around her looking at him waiting for his answer. "Is that an order or a request?" he asked. "Just say yes." she said trying to plead with her eyes. If he was her partner, he would probably do his fair share instead of relying on her perfectionism to do it all. "Look he obviously doesn't want to, pick someone else. Would you like to partner with me Ed?" Anna asked looping her arm through his.

Robin's jaw clenched in anger. How dare that bitch make a move on him like that. "Actually it is Edward and I would love to partner with you Robin." He said sharply looking at Anna's arm through his. "Your lose." Anna said dropping her arm away form him.

People started to move away to pair off. "Thank you." she said softly. "It's ok, I didn't want you to get stuck with all of the work." He shrugged moving her things from in front of Jasper so they could sit together. "How did you know?" she asked. "Well, I just got the feeling that you would rather do it all then get a bad grade. Who wouldn't take advantage of that?" he shrugged sitting her things down beside his. "You apparently." she smiled at him.

Once everyone had found partners the aid put slips of paper into a jar for the pairs to draw. He also carried a clip board to write down each pair's tree. When he got to Edward and Robin he looked at her down his nose. "Be nice." was all he said before she stuck her hand into the jar. "I am always nice." She said hotly and showed him the slip of paper. "Silver Maple, great choice." The aid said scratching it on his clip board before moving on.

Robin took her pen out marking little E's and R's by different bullet points. Each little R was something she would do and the E's belonged to Edward. "So I will do my share, you will do the little E's and then we will get together and put it in the book before school." She smiled at him presenting her plan. "Wow, you really don't work well with others do you?" he asked.

"I just figured it would be more efficient this way." She raised her brow. "Working separately on a group project?" he asked his face clearly skeptical. Of course the idea was absurd, but she was not overly fond of the idea of spending more time with Edward.

"Look, don't be so stubborn, it is a group project." he smiled at her his eyes seemed to darken. She shivered and rubbed her arms. She wasn't cold, she was wearing the track jacket, it was more like he was looking at her like she was a steak. Edward blinked and looked away. "I can come over about eight or so tonight and we can get started." he said after a second. Robin bit her lip and sighed. She always was getting the feeling she was pushing at him with one hand and beckoning to him with the other.

"Yeah, ok." she nodded. The bell rang and Edward started to gather her things along with his own. "I have arms to do that myself you know?" Robin sighed tilting her head. Truthfully it was sort of sweet in an old fashioned sort of way. "I was just raised to be a gentleman." he shrugged. She picked up her bag and didn't say anything as he grabbed her books to carry them to Lit class.

Lit class was pretty uneventful. A debate had broken out weather they should read Dracula or Patricia Corwell's analysis of the Jack the Ripper case. The class had settled on Dracula to Robin's disappointment. Not only had she read it before it scared her.

"How can you possible be more frightened of Dracula. That Corwell book has pictures of the corpses in it." Alice laughed as they walked to lunch. Jasper and Edward walking on either side of them. "It is simple. The Ripper was a man. He is dead. Dracula, was superhuman, and could live forever. If I had to fight for my life, I could have a shot at beating Jack the friggen Ripper ok? But Dracula, you throw down with him, your ass is going down. My last name sure as shit isn't Van Helsing. I don't know about Cullen's or Hale's but Gann's do not have any super vampire fighting knowledge." She laughed. The others fell silent and Robin raised a brow. "What's wrong?" she asked her brows knitting together. "Nothing." Alice laughed.

Emmett and Rosalie joined them right as they entered the cafeteria. Robin made her way through the lunch line grabbing cold mealy French fries and a slice of greasy pizza before sitting down at her normal table. Despite the fact that she was getting to like them she grimaced as the five sat at her table. With in seconds the table filled with other students. Awesome, the sheep are back, she thought sighing.

She ate silently observing the obscene fawning that her school mates lavished on the new students. It was a little humorous watching the Cullens skillfully dodge the advances and flirtations. Of course when your that beautiful you get lots of practice. When she finished Robin stood to take her tray to the return slot. The loud speaker cracked so the principal could read the announcements and Robin sighed.

In no mood to listen to the school wide announcements or go back to the love fest she grabbed her things without sitting down and then made for the exit. She went out to her car and slipped inside leaving her bag on the ground beside the car. Propping the door open with her leg she fished a stale pack of cigarettes from under her seat. She lit one and turned the radio on. "Sometimes you just need a little alone time."

Despite being stale the cigarette made her feel light headed. Since she didn't smoke habitually the little nicotine still gave her a head change. She turned her radio on and then leaned back closing her eyes letting Paramore fill her ears. "I put my faith in you so much faith in you, then you just threw it away threw it away." she sang tossing the half smoked butt away from her with a flick of her wrist.

"What are you doing?" Edward's voice cut through her singing. The sun broke through the clouds and for a second she thought she saw Edward's sparking in typical white knight fashion. "You following me now?" she asked irritated. How did he always manage to sneak up on her, it was annoying.

"You didn't answer my question." he said moving to lean on his car. "You didn't answer mine. Your fan club must be upset that you keep slipping away to spend time with me." Robin shot. "You just left, I was worried." he said looking at her. She sighed, he always was doing that. He would say something insightful and then just look at her, really look at her. It was one of the things that caused her to be so drawn to him. What a ridiculous notion to be drawn to someone she hardly knew. "Why, are you here?" she asked suddenly. "Well my Dad got a job here." he grinned at her. "Edward that is not what I meant and you know it." She said sternly.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" He asked leaning towards her his hair falling into his eyes. Robin flushed in anger, what kind of response was that? "How about the truth Edward." she spat at him. "Meaning?" he asked looking at her through his hair. His eyes were defiantly darker then they had been yesterday. Maybe he was angry and it was darkening his stare. Robin saw him jerk like he wanted to look away but he stayed gazing at her.

"It means since you got here, you have been ever so persistent in, well just persistent. There are times when your sweet and enduring. Then there are other times when you just stare at me and it freaks me out. Plus you have this like secret language that you use when…" She stopped and bit her lip to stop from finishing. He was always doing something to distract her if she noticed anything weird about his family.

She started to chew on her lip. In fact Rose and Alice had started to talking to her while she was thinking how strange Esme's arm didn't move when she wrote. "When what Robin?" Edward asked sharply. "When you want to distract me." she said back hotly. "That is absurd." he shook his head. "Is it? I think the gentlemen doth protest to much." She said turning her radio off and standing up from her driver seat.

"Or maybe you are full of yourself." he shrugged. "Excuse me?" "No, I think you can't handle the idea that someone is taking the spot light from you." Robin's jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed behind her purple frames. "Yeah, that is it. I love the spot light. I love it so much that I hide in my big house, with my fancy cars. I love it so much that I push everyone away so that can't see how bad I still hurt every day. God to think I was counting you as a friend. You know what just do the little E's on the paper, I'll do the R's and you stay the hell away from me." Robin shouted.

"Is that an order or a request?" Edward asked smugly. Robin's hand formed a fist and without thinking she threw a punch at his face. Her hand met with his face, but it might as well been the pavement. Searing pain that made her see spots filled her vision. "Fuck!" she howled cradling her right hand with her left. She took a deep breath to clear her vision and was angered that Edward's face was no worse for the wear. "Let me see your hand." He said holding out his hand.

Robin looked at her hand held closely to her chest and could see that her middle two fingers where distorted under the skin. "Go fuck yourself." she said hotly. She picked her bag up wincing as she did so and letting it fall to the ground with a thud. "Let me he.." "Stop just stop." she said cutting him off. Leaving her bag she started walking to the entrance.

Mrs. Lockhart looked at Robin's hand as she started to sign out with her left hand. "I slammed it in my car door." Robin smiled through the pain. "Dear that looks broken." the elderly secretary said. "I know, that is why I am going to drive to the hospital and get it fixed." Robin said flatly. "Well, do you want someone to take you?" she asked in a concerned sort of way. "Nah, besides name a single friend I have in there to take me." Robin laughed. "Well, ok…" Mrs. Lockheart said reluctantly.

Robin went back out to her car to find her bag loaded in the car, with Edward no where in sight. She got in and started her car left handed. It took her a few tries to find a position she could shift in without hurting her hand before leaving.

After a few hours of sitting in the waiting room at St. Luke's she was taken to get X-rays and then sent to an emergency room cubicle. She flipped through the cable channels on the t.v. in the room waiting for the doctor. "Good afternoon, I am Doctor Cullen…" Carlisle said entering the room. Robin groaned running her good hand through her hair. "Oh Robin, hmmm." he checked his chart and set it aside pulling out the X-rays. He held them up to the light inspecting them. "So you have dislocated your second and third fingers. How did you manage that?" he asked setting the X-ray aside and sitting on a rolling stool in front of her. "I guess I am lucky, I thought I had broken them on your son's face." she said sharply. Typically she would have made an effort to be nicer but between her anger at Edward and the pain she was in no mood for civility. "Oh you and Edward had a disagreement I take it?" he asked pressing on her hand.

Robin winced and merely nodded. "Does that hurt?" he asked. Robin nodded and made an effort to pull her hand free. Carlisle held on to it as if it cost him nothing but his grip was like a vice. "Now this is going to be rather painful." he said smoothly before popping the bones back into place. Robin howled in pain and started swearing calling Carlisle every name in the book.

Once she had calmed down he started writing a prescription. "I want you to take a couple of these if you start experiencing any pain. Now you drive a stick correct?" he asked looking over his pad at her. Robin nodded. "Do you have an automatic?" He asked. "No, why is this important?" she asked. "Well gripping the shift will be difficult for a few days. In fact I am surprised you drove yourself here. Is there anyone to call that could get you?"

Robin bit her lip and sighed. "I am a tough girl." "Of that I am quite sure. Now, is there someone that could come get you?" Carlisle asked again. "Are you asking me as my neighbor or as my Doctor?" Robin asked. "Well as your Doctor I would advise that you not drive yourself home, but ultimately it your hand function you are risking. As your neighbor I am merely concerned."

"There isn't anyone, I have no family save for two dogs. No friends to speak of. And I fired all the help that my parent's employed at the house." Robin said flatly. "You know, I do have five children that do like you." He said in a mildly amused tone. "Right, well seeing as I punched Edward in the face…" she said chortling in the back of her throat.

"Well then call one of the others." He said handing her the prescription pad and discharge papers. "Just not Jasper, because he can't handle being around people that well." She said testing him. She had noticed him nervous around people, she couldn't place why but he was. "Yes, Jasper would not be a good choice for you to be alone with." he said slowly his eyes studying her. She bit her lip and shook her head. Whatever the Cullen family was hiding was sketchy.

"Well, I would, but you see I hate head games. I don't want to spend forty minutes to get back, probably ten to fill this script , and three to pick up some dinner of one of the others trying to convince me that you guys are normal." Robin said angrily. Carlisle looked at her in shock. "Have a good day Carlisle." Robin nodded curtly before stalking out of the room.

She knew it wasn't fair to take her anger against Edward out on him. She considered going back in and apologizing but decided against it. Maybe the little scene would make Edward leave her alone. She went to the parking lot to get into her car. She walked to where she had parked it to find the spot empty. Panicked she spun in a circle looking for it. Tears started to form in her eyes at the realization she had let her Father's car be stolen.

She dug through her purse trying to see through her streaming tears to find her phone. Eventually she found it and she wandered to the curb of the hospital trying to dial nine one one. Her fingers clumsy on her phone unable to perform the action. She removed her glasses the lens filled with salty tears and rubbed her eyes trying to slow the tears.

She held the phone close to her face to focus on the numbers and tried to once again dial the number and failed. She screamed and threw her phone on the ground listening to it scrap against the pavement. "Whoa there killer." A voice chuckled. Robin looked up at saw Emmett's huge form filling her vision. "My car…" She started but her words were stolen by her sobs.

"Rose took it home. Carlisle asked me to pick you up." he said offering her his hand. She wiped her tears from her eyes with the back of her hand and smooched her glasses onto her face. She grabbed his hand and he pulled her to her feet. "Come on sluggo let's get you in the jeep." he laughed indicating an off road style red jeep.

Once she was in and buckled up Emmett pulled away from the curb. "So you and Edward?" he asked looking over at her. "What about us?" She asked her brow raised her eyes crusty with salty remains. "That is what I am trying to figure out." he laughed. "I don't know he just hits my buttons, all of them not just the angry ones. And it's more like he is smashing them in. I can't figure which way is up." she sighed unable to believe she had just told him that.

Emmett was silent and just drove. "I don't know, it is weird you know. I can't figure him out, any of you. Your so damn Brady Bunch." She said. He chuckled and looked at her. "It isn't funny, it's like your hiding something. Every time I notice something weird one of you distracts me. Between that and Edward, it's like I am getting the old one two punch." "Very apropos beings you tried to knock Edward out." Emmett laughed.

"You know, I think you're my favorite. You're the easiest." He raised his brow glancing at her. "No for real Em. Your just like me, you just say what you want to say. You aren't trying to work me over. Shit your just here because Carlisle asked you to be." Robin sighed. "Maybe, I don't like you, so I say mean things and you just think I am saying what's on my mind." Emmett suggested.

"Well that could be a possibility. You could hate me because I am going to figure your secret out." Robin said. Emmett snorted and shook his head. "Not in a million years." Robin sighed. "Whatever. I am gonna put this shit on lock down." Emmett looked at her and just grinned.

They lapsed into silence, but it was easy. "You need to get anything?" Emmett asked finally. "Well a prescription, and I need some major food." Emmett turned and stopped at a Walgreen's. They dropped the prescription off to be filled. Then he decided to go to Taco Bell while they waited.

They went back after hitting up the drive through to get her pain pills and then started off toward their houses that lay between their small town and the larger city where the hospital was. "So that stuff I said about Edward…" Robin said finally sipping her drink. "Are you asking me to keep it quite?" Emmett asked looking over at her. "I give you a taco." Robin wiggled her brows at him. "Ok, but you can keep your taco for your fat dogs." he chuckled.

Robin's brows knitted together in a frown. How did he know her dogs were fat. Edward could have told him but that seemed like a silly detail he wouldn't have even noticed in the dark. "How did you know my dogs were fat?" she asked finally after several moments of silence as he turned on to their road. "I saw them in your back yard." he shrugged. "Oh." was all she said. Her yard was fenced and there was no way he could have seen them unless he had been in the woods behind her house.

"Well thanks for stealing my car at your Father's behest. Next time he should just tell me instead of doing it and then trying to get me to agree." She smiled uneasily as Emmett stopped in her driveway. "No problem, I'll be sure to pass on the message." he laughed. Robin hopped out of the jeep food in one hand medicine in the other. She opened the garage to check on her car and was relieved to see it there. She grinned seeing the Lotus had been cleaned and closed the big automatic door before entering into the house.

She frowned hearing the dogs barking from outside and went to the deck door to let them in. Then she went to the living room and sat down taking out a taco. She rummaged through the bag looking for mild sauce and swore. "Damn it…" she groaned. Why hadn't she asked Emmett to get mild sauce? She stood and went to the fridge. Surely in the butter tray where she stored her packets there would be some taco sauce.

Robin opened her fridge and her mouth fell open. Her pizza box and Chinese carton riddled fridge had been cleaned and emptied. In the take out box's place there was food, real food. She frowned her brows almost touching in displeasure. There hadn't been any real groceries in that fridge in months, the most Robin ever brought was orange juice.

Robin opened the little butter holder on the side of the door, her treasure trove of fast food sauce gone. "Where the hell are my packets?" she asked indignantly. The dogs just barked and wagged their tails at her. "You let them take the Arby sauce, really? Really?" she scoffed. This had Esme written all over it. She slammed the fridge door and stomped to her room.

Robin grabbed the pair of jeans she had worn home from last night and fished out the napkin. She flipped her phone open and dialed one of the numbers. "Hello." Rosalie's voice answered. "What happened to my sauces?" Robin asked. "Oh, hey. I brought your car home and cleaned your Lotus." She said easily as if it was nothing. "Kay yeah, thanks for that. Now my fridge looks like HyVee threw up in there. So start splaining Lucy." Rosalie laughed then stopped as if she realized Robin was not joking.

"I went inside to get a coke or something to drink. There was month old lo mein so I told Esme and we went shopping it's no big deal." Rosalie said as if they had done her a favor. Well they had in a way, but Robin didn't like cooking in her mother's kitchen. Her mother had cooked fancy funky finger food for parties there. She just wasn't comfortable making mac and cheese there, and she sure wasn't comfortable with her perfect neighbors seeing how she lived.

"No it is a big deal. You coming and picking up my car without my permission is a big deal. You coming into my house and seeing, it's a big deal." Robin said yelling into the phone. "My life is a mess, a wreck and for you to come in here and see that is a big deal." She went on starting to pace. "Robin, I was just trying to help." Rosalie said sounding defensive. "I don't need help!" she screamed snapping her phone closed and throwing it against the wall. Her phone broke as it hit and thudded on the floor.

She grabbed the pieces of her phone and left her room. She sat down at the breakfast table and sighed looking at her broken phone. "It looks like I am getting a new phone." she sighed. She stood and grabbed the fast food bag and unwrapped the tacos tossing them into the dog's bowls. She opened the fridge sighing. She started to catalogue the items in her new well stocked and ordered fridge. She had a lot of basic foods and a good variety of fruits and vegetables. She couldn't but help the smile on her lips seeing fresh pineapple pre-sliced and a bunch of asparagus, her two favorite foods in the world.

She closed the fridge and opened the cupboards, they too were well stocked and the same with her freezer. She sighed torn between emotions. On one hand it was a complete and total invasion into her sad little life, on the other hand it was really sweet to have someone care. Her rumbling stomach reminded her of the bland tacos laying in the dogs bowls, and that she was hungry.

Going to the stove she set up a pan of water to boil. Then she grabbed from the fridge the asparagus and feta cheese. So feta crumbled on steamed asparagus wasn't a complete dinner but it was better than fast food any day Robin reasoned. After making the food she sat down on the counter and started to eat . The dogs came out from where ever they had ridden her tantrum out at. Instead of begging for her steamed veggie dish they tore into the discarded tacos.

Once she was done she cleaned up and took a pain pill then headed to the living room. She put War of the Worlds in the DVD player and turned it on covering herself up with the blanket. It was still pretty early by her standard but her day had been long. Her long day compounded with the pain pill for her aching hand and her comfortable position on the couch sent Robin drifting to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Robin heard the dogs barking irritated and someone trying to shush them. She fought to open her heavy lids her body feeling fuzzy from the hydrocodone. She heard the television turn off followed by the stereo system. Her eyes opened into little half moons as cold strong arms scooped her up. "Mmm Edward?" she asked sleepily looking up into his handsome face. She felt his body stiffen against hers as he easily carried her to the large master bedroom. He didn't respond when she called his name again. She sighed and buried her face into his chest. It was cool like the other side of the pillow and smelled amazing like fresh linen sheets you wanted to slip between.

"What are you doing here?" she asked looking up at him through her mess of curls. Again Edward was silent as he shifted her in his arms. "Close the door or the dogs will get in the bed with us." she said softly. Like a silent specter he pushed the door closed with his foot then carried her to the bed. He set her down in the middle of the big disheveled bed. He fished the remote from between the sheets and looked at it. Robin opened her mouth to tell him she needed noise to sleep peacefully but found it dry.

As if knowing what she wanted he pressed the play button and covered her up. She dry swallowed and attempted to push herself up in bed. He pressed her into the bed with one hand and shook his head. She tried to resist past him but he was adamant she lay there on the bed. She just didn't have the strength or presence of mind to fight him. He removed his hand and sat on the edge or the bed his fingers thin and sure running through her chin length curly hair playing with the ringlets that formed in her sleep.

"This is nice." she said dreamily. "I am sorry I punched you, but sometimes your so…" she rambled feeling sleep wanting to wash over her. "You have nice fingers, I bet you play piano, I used to play before I took up sketching." she continued to ramble thinking it was strange that he wasn't saying anything to her.

Edward just stayed silent, ghostly in her barely opened eyes. She closed them yawning and didn't fight to open them again. She didn't feel anything but she knew he was getting up as if an instinct. She reached out her hand hitting the bed where he had sat. "Stay…" she grumbled turning on to her stomach cuddling the pillow.

Robin woke up groaning as the dogs scratched at the door. She sat up alarmed, she hadn't remembered getting up and going to the bed last night. She reached in the sheets for her phone to check the time before remembering the shards on the table. She frowned getting out of bed still clothed. If she had walked to bed she would have at least stripped down to her tee shirt and under ware if not pulled on pajamas.

She opened the door to the waiting dogs and padded to the deck door. She checked the clock on the stove and swore. She should have been long at school, she slapped the marble counter and swore as pain shot through her hand. She had forgotten she had almost broken it yesterday trying to punch out Edward.

Edward. The dream of his nightly visit caused her to smile. Dream Edward had been so gentle and caring. He hasn't been smug, or hiding anything, just nice. She popped another pain pill feeling her stomach gurgle as it hit her empty pit. She shrugged, she was already late and she couldn't drive with a laid up hand. She grabbed the land line phone and dialed the school to call herself in while she dug in the fridge.

Convincing Mrs. Lockheart was easy she had seen Robin's hand. Robin assured her she was fine she just needed a day to rest before hanging up. She started eating fruit from various containers giggling as the cold juice ran down her chin. Once she was full she closed the fridge wiping her chin. "I am such a hobo." she giggled going to open the door to let the dogs in. They whined at her pawing their empty bowls.

"Hmm, lets see…" she sighed not having any left over fast food for them. She opened the cupboard to find some of the wet dog food her parents had in the back for when they gave the dogs pills. She grinned shaking her head. In the bottom of the cupboard was an bag of Iams Weight Control dog food. Robin opened the bag and retrieved the bowls to fill them. "I really do owe Esme and Rose an apology."

After feeding the dogs she grabbed a large glass of ice water and went to the living room. She popped in 40 Year Old Virgin. A few minutes into the movie the pain in her hand started to dull and she felt herself giggling at everything. She sipped from the water to combat the cotton mouth from the pain pill as she stretched out on the couch.

A knock sounded from the front door and Robin jumped. Her movie had long since finished and she had movie to watching movies on HBO. She pressed the information button and her mouth fell open. School had finished already and all she had accomplished that day was finding the dog food.

The knock sounded again and the lazy dogs jolted from their sleep and started to bark. She grunted pushing herself off the couch and went to the door flinging it open. Edward stood there a packet of papers in his hand. He looked so perfect standing there against the overcast sky. "Hey." she said tersely. "Hey, I brought copies of my notes for you." He said holding out the papers. "Thanks." she said taking the papers quickly. "So I take it you're still mad at me." he stated.

Robin blushed, she wasn't mad. She was thinking about the romantic Edward from her dreams whose thin fingers had played in her hair. "No." She shook her head running her hand through her curls self conscious of her unwashed appearance in the same clothes from yesterday. "Then what is with the one word answers, normally you have a lot more to say." he grinned at her. "Just, this pain pill." she sighed.

Edward stepped in and pulled the door closed. "How is your hand?" he asked taking her hand in his as if he were inspecting it. "It is kind of sore, no big deal." she said quickly pulling her hand back. "Well, I just wanted to check on you. Alice and Rose said they have been trying to call you since last night." he said leaning against the molding around the door.

"Well I didn't O.D. on pain pills, vodka, and Taco Bell. No worries, I just broke my phone in a shiny fit of rage and embarrassment." she laughed shaking her head. She paused waiting for some comment on how she tended to frequent towards those fits. None came and she smiled, a real smile not a sarcastic or I'll be ok smile. "I just didn't feel up to driving to get a replacement. The store is all the way in flipping KC." She made a face. "I could take you." Edward offered.

Robin bit her lip contemplating. Real Edward never did anything without an ulterior motive. "What's the catch?" she asked looking at him. He sighed and pushed himself off the door frame. "No catch, I just want to do something nice for you. Maybe if I keep being nice to you, you might be nice back." he said softly. "I am not a nice girl. Just ask around school." she snorted.

Robin couldn't afford nice. Nice people got walked on, or coddled. She could afford nor withstand either. "I did ask around." he said. "See, not a nice girl." Robin shook her head. "No, that is not it. You're headstrong, smart, tough, and hurt. You just hide behind meanness, when your comfortable you are fun to be around. Walking to lunch yesterday talking about Lit class." he said softly. That had been pretty fun, easy even like everything didn't have to be calculated.

"Yeah, ok." she nodded deciding to let him take her to get a new phone. "Yeah, ok what?" Edward asked grinning at her crookedly. "Give me half an hour and we can go." she said turning to go into the master suite. She paused and looked at him over her shoulder. "If you want, there is a piano upstairs." she pointed at the stairs. "How did you know I played?" he asked. Robin smiled thinking of Dream Edward's slim fingers. "Just a hunch." she said before disappearing into the room.

Robin looked at her reflection in the mirror satisfied with her appearance. She wore a long flowing black skirt, purple ballet flats, and a white screen print shirt with a black relief of Billy Idol on it. She topped it off with Tahitian pearls, and exchanged her almost trade mark purple CK frames for a set of contacts. She looked a little girl next door meets rocker queen.

She left the bathroom in the master suite that was now her room and paused in to door way. She could hear Edward playing the piano upstairs. The tune was upbeat, quirky, and friendly like Alice personified. She moved quietly to the bottom step and sat down closing her eyes. She let Alice's form paint itself on the backs of her eye lids as Edward's fingers crafted the image.

Edward's song changed, this one was warm and caring, it made her feel like she would be loved no matter what. Edward's melody had painted Esme this time. Robin could feel a smile creep across her face and wondered what her song would sound like if she had one. The song started to change again, this one she couldn't place. It was beautiful and strangely alluring making her want to grasp the notes out of thin air.

Edward stopped playing and leaned over the railing causing it to creak. Robin's eyes snapped open and she looked up at him. "You play beautifully." she said softly. "Thank you, do you play?" he asked. She shook her head. She had when she was little, her Mother had insisted she take it up. She always had been more interested in art. "Then why is this up here?" he asked looking across the way to the room that was there.

She sighed. Her old room, she hadn't been up there since her parents had died. In fact the whole upstairs that used to be her domain when they were home seemed taboo now. "I used to play. When I was a kid. My Mom thought every child should have music in their life. I was just more drawn to drawing, painting and stuff." She nodded.

"Are these yours?" he asked pointing at a wall lined with different sized canvases. They were Robin's favorites her parents had framed to adorn the wall. "Yeah, it's kind of lame." she chuckled. She could barely remember what hung up there. "Why don't you come up here and show me." Edward suggested looking back down at her. "I don't go up there anymore." she said her mouth going dry. "Why not?" Because the top floor had been hers, the main floor and the finished basement had been theirs. She wanted to immerse herself in that feeling. "I just don't. Can we please go?" she asked.

Edward started down the steps and offered her a hand up once he reached the bottom. "Is your room up there?" he asked. "Not anymore." she shook her head. That part of Robin, the happier part was locked up there. "Let's go, we can take the Aston Martin if you want." Robin offered changing the subject. "How about the Lotus?" Edward counter offered. "If you want." she smiled. She grabbed her purse and the broken phone from the table before going to the garage door. She grabbed a set of keys from the key rack and tossed them to Edward.

As soon as they were in the car Robin hooked her iPod up to the auxiliary jack. "The one thing the Lotus has over the Martin." she grinned turning shuffle on. "I hope you don't make me listen to the Cupid Shuffle." Edward grinned. "Hardly." Robin shook her head letting Counting Blue Cars by Dishwalla come on. "Oh this is a great song." He smiled as he pulled on to the road. "I know, right." She laughed watching the woods disappear.

No matter what came over the speakers Edward seemed to be ok with, everything from classic rock to underground British punk. "So are you working on anything new?" Edward asked looking over at her for a brief second. "Art, no, I don't do that anymore." she shook her head. "You don't do a lot of things anymore." he said as Rob Zombie's Living Dead Girl came on. Robin started to laugh at the irony of it.

After her fit subsided she looked over at him her brow raised. He was being strange, well normal but strange for him. It was almost like her Dream of Edward had bled into real life. She shook her head, she had known him all of three days, she had no idea what his normal was. "Are you in there?" Edward asked looking over at her. "Oh yeah, what were you saying?" she asked.

"I asked if Dracula was getting to you yet?" he repeated the question she had half heard him ask. "Not really. I mean, it's creepy he is a bad vampire." she shrugged. "What's that mean?" he asked his brow raised. Robin wondered if she told him her thoughts on vampires if he would turn around and drop her crazy ass off.

"I guess the idea of bad vampires scare me. If a bad vamp had it out for me I would be toast. I am not really living the best life right now, but I still value it." she shrugged. "You keep saying bad vampire, what's up with that?" Edward asked turning on to the highway. "Well, good vampires don't scare me. I mean they're people too, so they come in the same variety of good and bad I suppose." she sighed. "You say that like.." Robin cut him off. "Like I believe in vampires? I do." she said plainly.

"You believe in vampires?" he asked calmly. "Of course, I mean a lot of stuff I think is probably myth and misunderstanding but why not? It had to start somewhere and it is absurd to think that there is nothing above humans. We only use a certain percentage of what our brains and bodies are capable of. Why wouldn't there be a mutation or evolution on that?" she said blushing looking out the window. "You think so?" he asked. "Yeah, I do. I know it sounds crazy but…" she sighed and bit her lip. Did she really know Edward enough to have a conversation where he would seriously question her sanity.

"I just think that there are things out there that normal people can't understand. Which is why I guess they are painted as monsters. You know maybe they need blood to tap into that extra percentage that we as normal people don't use. I eat meat so really is that different then drinking blood? Hell I take my steak medium rare. I just think that it isn't impossible, so you know the idea of something faster, stronger, smarter, that will out live me. Then if it had malicious intent towards me, scary stuff. I just also happen to believe that they have the same emotions as people and with all the power it can corrupt them. But just like people there is the possibility of goodness." Robin sighed as Edward didn't speak..

"You think I am crazy don't you?" she asked playing with her necklace nervously. "No." he shook his head speeding up. "Then what are you thinking?" she asked frowning. "I am just wondering what you would do if you met a vampire." he sighed. "Well, it's sort of like wondering what I would do if I was pregnant. I can theorize all day if I would get an abortion, but I'll never know unless I live it." she shrugged. "Well why don't you theorize?" he teased.

"Well a bad vampire, pretty sure I would fight. I know I would have like zero hope, but I couldn't just give up, it's not in me. Any other type I would just leave it alone, don't bother me I won't bother you. If it wanted to make friends that would be ok as long as our personalities didn't clash to bad. For instance, lets say that Anna girl from school was a vampire. I would avoid that shit like the plague." she laughed. Edward just glanced over at her.

"What about you Edward? What do you think you would do?" She asked. Edward still didn't speak, it reminded her of her dreamy encounter. She reached out and placed her hand on top of his on the gear shift. "E you in there?" she asked softly. Edward looked over at her and then back at the road as Kansas City came closer into view.

"Yeah, so you said there is a lot of myth and misunderstanding. So what do you think a vampire is like? Physically I mean." He asked. She shrugged making a face. "Well, I don't know I guess just stronger and faster. Maybe smarter, I would imagine so. I bet they don't have silly allergies like garlic or whatever. I think that is a where a load of stuff gets messed up. Maybe the particular vampire that was about hated garlic, or was an atheist." she shrugged. "If you want to turn around and take my crazy self back to my house I'll understand." she offered at his silence.

"I don't think your crazy." was all he said exiting turning toward the shopping center. "You have been here before?" Robin asked wondering how he knew where to go. "Uh yeah, the store is right by Barnes and Nobel right?" he asked. "It is." she nodded.

Expertly Edward parallel parked the Lotus in front of the ATT store and turned the car off. "I need to make a call. Is it alright if I stay out here?" Edward asked. The question sort of caught her off guard but she nodded. "Yeah alright." She opened the door and climbed out of the car.

She browsed through the phones. Ignoring the sales people deliberately she picked up a demo iPhone and started to play with it. She sat it down not liking the texting function. She went to the Motorola phones, she loved the texting on her old razor. She started to play with a sleek new slider really enjoying it. She moved to compare a few other phones to see if she liked any other phones.

She called a salesperson over to get the phone for her. She paid for the phone and inserted her SIMS chip and then left the store. Edward sat in the car talking on his phone. She didn't want to bother him so she smoothed her skirt and sat on the curb. She started to play with her new phone setting it up how she liked it.

After a few moments Edward got out of the car and locked it. "You get what you wanted?" he asked. "Yeah." she nodded. He offered her an hand up and she took it grateful she didn't have to stand in the skirt alone. "So, um there is a really nice place, Italian right around the corner." Robin said nervously. This will be his test, if he says no he thinks I am a crazy mean bitch, if he says yes then I cross that bridge when I come to it, she thought. "Are you asking me on a date?" Edward asked grinning at her.

Robin shook her head quickly. "No, no just a thank you for driving me down here." she said even quicker. Edward shrugged. "I got to drive a really awesome car out of the deal." he said looking at her. Robin nodded, "Yeah I guess your right." but I still want to go with you even though you're the most arrogant confusing man I have ever met! She said softly but mentally screaming the last part.

"On the other hand I do have to eat." Edward nodded. Robin blushed looking down at her purple flats. This was where the confusing part of Edward came to life. "Ok, well lets go." She started to walk quickly her legs growing cold from the chilly weather. "Am I allowed to walk with you right now or no?" Edward teased. "Ha that is funny, want to get punched out again?" she said back trying to sound serious. "Ok, as long as you actually try this time." he said just as serious. Robin laughed shaking her head as Edward held the door open for her.

They sat down and the waitress came to take their drink orders flirting with Edward. It was a little offensive for the girl to assume they weren't dating or just not care. Once they were done ordering she left to put their orders. "Wow, you should drop a button she might give you free stuff." Robin laughed. "Your not offended?" he asked looking at her. "Why would I be? We aren't together or dating." Robin shook her head. Truthfully, she had a little pang of jealousness welling in her chest but it was ridiculous.

The waitress came back with the drinks and sat down to recommend to Edward what was good to eat. Robin found it a little more then amusing when Edward was cool towards her and just ordered some chicken carbanara. Robin's mouth fell open as the waitress stood to put in Edward's order without taking hers. "Wow, that was wow. You sure are a lady killer." Robin chuckled. "You aren't hungry?" Edward asked raising his brow.

"Oh no, she doesn't want to take my order that is cool." Robin shrugged. She was trying to play it cool but the whole thing was insulting. "Besides, I'll just eat yours." she teased sipping her peach tea. "You don't have to pretend that it doesn't bother you. It was incredibly rude." Edward said plainly. "Well I guess I don't warrant attention when I am with you. I'm no Rosalie after all." she shrugged. "Stop it." Edward said his jaw getting tight in anger. "What? It's just a joke calm down. It is not that big of a deal. I am not some knock out or anything average at best." Robin snorted running her hand through the short hair at the nape of her neck.

"You are just as beautiful as Rosalie if not more. You shouldn't let anyone take that from you." Edward said sharply. Robin blushed and looked down at her menu still in front of her. Edward was so heart rendering gorgeous it sometimes was painful to look at him, and he was calling her beautiful. She could only hope that he was kidding because if he wasn't it would make their fledgling relationship that much more complicated.

"I will be right back, I need to use the facilities." She watched him rise and leave before slumping in her chair. She sighed, she should just tell him she wasn't feeling well and have him take them back. Things were getting to complicated too fast. Edward was so old world and polite sometimes, then other times he was directly challenging her. Of course that was probably her own defense mechanism pushing against someone she was attracted to.

"Ma'am?" a soft voice asked at her side. Robin sat up her brows knitted together. "Yes?" Robin asked. "I am the manager here, Linda Poindexter. Your boyfriend just informed me of the situation. Please understand that on behave of Casconie's I apologize. It was not our intention to ruin your anniversary dinner. If I could please take your order?" The woman said looking earnestly at Robin. "Oh, um could I have the eggplant parmesan with the house salad please?" Robin said making a face. "Of course." The woman said leaving the table.

Robin sat up in her chair straighter as Edward returned to the table. "What did you do?" she hissed leaning across the table. Edward grinned at her leaning towards her. "I asked for the check for our drinks. I mentioned what had happened and told them it was our anniversary and that my girlfriend was practically in tears over the whole thing and we would rather just leave." Robin shook her head smiling. It was brilliant and completely sweet. "Well played Sir." She bowed her head to him with a slight flourished hand gesture. "What anniversary are we celebrating?" She giggled.

"Oh, well honey, I can't believe you forgot about our one year anniversary. I guess that means you didn't get me anything?" Edward chuckled lowly. Robin laughed so hard she snorted and then covered her beet shaded face with her hands. After a few seconds her laughter subsided and she sat back in her chair. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed like that, her sides had stitches in them and her face was flushed.

When a waiter brought their salads Robin stopped him before he left. "Do you think we could have some crayons please?" she smiled up at him. Casconie's had always been a favorite of Robin's because of the butcher paper on the tables. He nodded and handed them two crayon packs form his apron with a red, blue, and yellow crayon. "Thanks." Robin smiled.

Edward raised his brow catching the pack she tossed at him over his salad. She didn't know if he planned to use his but she had plans for hers. If he wanted an anniversary present she would give him one. She started to eat with her left hand her right starting to sketch. "What are you doing?" Edward asked. "You'll see." She grinned after swallowing some salad. Once she was done with her salad she pushed the bowl aside and covered her sketch with her now free left hand.

"So, lets see. I know you have great taste in music. You drive stick, and handle it well. You are competitive and smart… You have no family except for your dogs. What can I ask you?" Edward asked looking at Robin. Robin looked up at him and shrugged. "I don't know." She looked back down trying to get Edward's lopsided grin right in her mind before attempting to draw it.

"When is your birthday?" Edward asked grinning at her. She looked up and smiled because he was modeling perfectly for her. "My birthday? Lets see." She paused and made a face, when was her birthday, it had been so long since she had thought of anything so trivial. "You don't know?" Edward asked his brow raised. "No I do.. August twenty fifth." She said remembering that her birthday had just passed and she had turned seventeen. "So you just turned seventeen a couple weeks ago?" he asked. "I guess so." she shrugged. It seemed like she had been seventeen for years. She always spoke about being emancipated at sixteen as if it had been years ago, and her parents death as if had happened a year ago, she counted the months in her head. It had really only been about sixth months. Time was passing her by and she just stayed put it seemed.

"What do you mean, you guess so. It is your birthday." Edward made a face. "I didn't really do anything, I just went from being sixteen to seventeen. It didn't seem important. Well it doesn't seem important. Just another day. When is your birthday?" she asked. "June twentieth." he replied easily. "Oh look at that no thought required." she laughed. She made a few more polishing lines at her drawing and tore the piece of paper off. "Happy anniversary Darling." she grinned handing him the sketch. "I thought you didn't do this anymore." he said leaning back as their main dishes were brought.

"It is nothing I made it between salad and pasta." she shook her head sipping her tea. "You don't like it?" she asked blushing looking at her steaming food. "No, it is really good. You have talent, you should think about starting again." he said folding it and slipping the butcher paper into his wallet. Robin sighed in relief starting to eat her pasta.

"So, those songs you were playing up there, what were they?" Robin asked cutting a piece of her breaded eggplant. "Well sort of theme songs I guess." Robin smiled taking a bite then washing it down. "Well I thought so, Alice, then Esme. That last one though, I couldn't place it, I guess it could be Jasper, I don't know him that well. Just it didn't feel like him." she shrugged. "You have a good ear. The last one I was just playing around, it wasn't anyone." He said looking at her. Robin sighed and made a face. For some reason the hunting but beautiful and alluring song suddenly made her think of Edward.

"So is your food good?" Edward asked looking at her plate. "Yeah, I always get this, it is the best. What to try it?" she asked cutting a piece for him with her fork. "If it is that good sure." Edward said leaning towards her. "What are you doing?" she asked making a face. "It is our anniversary remember?" He grinned at her. "Oh yeah, well here you go Darling." she laughed feeding him the bite.

"That is good." he said after swallowing the food. "Here." he said fixing her a bite and offering it to her. "Oh no thanks…" Robin said leaning back. "Come on, I tried yours." he said offering the fork toward her. She leaned over the table and allowed him to feed her. It was good, the bacon wasn't overpowering, the perfect carbanara sauce. "Yum, maybe I should try something new next time." she smiled sitting back in her chair.

A few more bites she pushed her bowl away. "I am so done." she groaned patting her stomach. "You want a box?" she asked looking at Edward who had already set his fork down. "No do you want it?" he asked. Robin shook her head. "Pasta dries out the second go around."

Robin pulled her purse off the back of her chair and fished out her bill fold. "What are you doing?" Edward asked. "Getting my card." Robin said rolling her eyes. "Why do you need a card?" he asked taking out his bill fold. "Because we just ate a meal." She said pulling her bank card out. "What are you doing?" she asked watching his thin fingers pull out crisp bills. "Paying." he said. "Your not paying I am paying, at least for my half." she shrugged. If it had been a date she would have let him pay, but it wasn't. "Robin, don't be so stubborn." he said shaking his head.

Robin bit her lip and sighed. "Ok, but the next one is on me." she said pointing at him putting her card back in her wallet. "We'll see about that." he chuckled. The waiter who had replaced the waitress brought the bill and Edward left the bills tucked in the books telling him to keep the change.

They left the restaurant walking in silence to the car. "Thank you for letting me take you out." Edward said unlocking the doors. "Thanks for driving my car and bullying me into letting you pay." she laughed climbing in the car. "No problem, anytime what's tomorrow look like for you?" he asked grinning closing her door before going around and getting in himself.

After a while when Edward was back on the highway he looked at Robin. "So, who are you wanting to take you to homecoming?" he asked. Robin shrugged and turned her body to look at him. "I don't know when it gets closer to time I'll decide." she shrugged again. "How much closer are looking for it to be? Homecoming is next week, a couple girls asked me today." he said laughing a little. Beings that I wasn't there to stake my claim, she thought. "Oh well I probably wont go." she made a face. "Why not?" he asked.

For starters no one had asked her. "I haven't been asked." she replied honestly. "Well, what id someone asked you?" he asked taking his eyes off the road to look at her. She suddenly felt nervous, there were really no other cars around but that wasn't why she was nervous. "It would depend on who is asking." She said her voice sounding breathless and quite. There was no way that Edward Cullen was about to ask her to homecoming. "I am, will you go to homecoming with me?" he asked his eyes still on her.

"Edward the road." Robin swallowed hard feeling her face flushed. Surely he meant just as friends, they were sort of friends, maybe she was the only girl he was comfortable with. He turned his intense gaze back to the highway. "Was that a yes?" he asked his mouth breaking into a boyish grin. "Yeah, so who else is going to be there?" she asked folding one of her legs underneath her. "Lots of people I assume, but on our date it will be just you and I." he said glancing at her. "Date, so it's a date then?" she asked her brows knitting together.

A date, as in matching dress and tux, with dinner, dancing, and kissing? Robin Gann, little alternative rocker, with gray eyes, short brunette hair, that girl was going not just on a date but on a homecoming date with the single most beautiful man she had seen. Unlike his beautiful brothers he was overly muscled, he just had something about him that even escaped Carlisle.

"Is that alright?" he asked grinning at her. "Yes, it is fine. I just don't have a dress." she sighed wondering if she could find something she liked in time. "What are you wearing, I can shop to meet your tux color." Robin offered. "You should get something purple." he said nodding. Robin giggled thinking of Edward in a purple accented tuxedo, sort of like a high class pimp. "Well that is your favorite color so you should wear it." he nodded. "How did you know that purple was my favorite color?" she asked wrinkling her nose in surprise. "How could I not know, you wear: black, white, a little red, and then purple." he laughed turning off the highway.

"Well then what is your favorite color?" she asked wrinkling her brow. "I like green." he said closing his eyes for a beat. "Well they say geniuses pick green you know?' she laughed. He simply nodded and pulled on to the gravel road. "So, I guess, you will need a ride to school tomorrow?" Edward asked turning up her drive way. "No, it think I'll be ok." she shook her head. "Well to be on the safe side we will pick you up at seven." he said hitting the garage opener on the visor. "Ok, I'll be ready." she sighed and set the alarm on her phone.

He pulled in and turned the car off then got out of the car. Robin followed suit and stretched until her back popped. "So do you want to come in and hang out for a while?" she asked pointing with her thumb at the door. "We could watch a movie, or start the tree book." she offered. Edward grimaced and spread his hands. "I have some family stuff they are waiting on me for." Robin bit her lip and nodded.

"Ok well I'll see you tomorrow." She sighed. "In the morning at seven." She nodded, and bit her lip wondering if she should kiss him. Robin closed the distance between them but then shied away blushing. Edward smelled like the same fresh linen he had in her dreams. "Well later E." She said backing away and turning to go inside.

She went inside and turned the dogs loose filling their bowls with the dog food so it would be all set for when they came in. Robin bit her lip looking for where she had set her purse. Remembering it was in the car she went into the garage and opened the Lotus. Her purse was in the floor board with her new phone inside. She grabbed it and paused hearing a buzzing sound. She checked her phone, it wasn't hers.

She reached across to the driver's side and between the seat and console Edward's phone lay buzzing. She grabbed it and smiled. When a people left things behind it meant they liked you. She opened the phone to program her number and to get his. New message: Emmett Exit or Read the phone asked.

Robin hit read, it was a little invasion of privacy but she couldn't help it. What r u going 2 do about your gf? She believes in vampires? Think she will put it 2gether? Did she say ne things about us being vamps? Robin's mouth fell open in shock. He had told his whole family about the sad little orphan down the road that believed in things that go bump in the night. Not only that he had made a fool of her by asking her out to homecoming.

Then she bit her lip re-reading the message. If she would put things together, them being vampires. She thought back to the first moment she had seen them. They were all pale, with strange eyes and so beautiful. Then there was Esme and how her arm barely moved if at all as she wrote. Alice and Jasper's habitual natural reflexes. Edward and Emmett moving so silently she didn't notice. Comments about seeing things they shouldn't be able to see, like her fat dogs or color flecks in her eyes.

So many things felt like they were suddenly sliding into place. The habits she had noticed, the overwhelming sense they were hiding something, the animals not really liking them. Then the long buried debater in her surfaced. If someone was as hostile to her as she had been she would go on the defensive too. She had been rather distracted each time the Cullen boys had got the jump on her. Were breathing patterns really that uncommon? Perhaps Jasper's eyes were dry and he had just been reacting to that. They did go out in the day, but it was always overcast. Maybe the sunlight thing was just a myth.

Robin growled in frustration. She could debate the issue all night, she was her own worst enemy, in prep for debate it was a great asset right now it was maddening. She grabbed the phone and her purse leaving the car. There was only one way to really settle it, she couldn't just ask them point blank she had to test it.

She went into the house and dropped her purse on the counter and went to the butcher block. She took out the small paring knife and folded it in the waist band of the skirt. She let the dogs in and kissed their heads giving them scratches behind the ears. She stood and then went back into the garage and started the Lotus, it was faster, if she had to run. If she lived to run. It was morbid but, who knew what lengths they would go to if it meant they stayed hidden.

She adjusted the seat and then opened the door to the garage. Her hands slipped on the wheel her palms sweaty. Once the door was open she backed out Edward's phone vibrating in her lap. She flipped it open. Get home now, I am on my way. It was from Alice. Robin snapped it closed and pulled out of her driveway faster then she normally would not wanting to risk paint damage. The text message instilled that she needed to spill some of her blood in front of them. She had to know.

Once she was in the Cullen's drive way she got out her car in park, still on no parking break. She grabbed the phone and marched to the front door and knocked. Esme opened the door smiling at her. "Robin, how are you dear?" she asked. "I am fine, can I talk to Edward right quick? I know your doing a family thing, so I just want to give him something he left in my car." Robin smiled.

"Oh he is in the shower." Esme smiled. "It's ok I'll wait." Robin said sliding past her. She moved to the living room where Emmett and Jasper sat playing Halo 3. Jasper noticeably stiffened as she sat down. "Hey guys." she said smiling. Jasper's phone started to ring and Robin raised her brow watching as he paused to answer the phone. "Alice…"

Robin unrolled the paring knife from her waist band and pressed it to the tender flesh inside her left arm. She tore the blade across that flesh rivulets of blood springing to the surface. She didn't know what to expect but suddenly everything slowed down and her heart pounded in her ears.

Jasper leapt towards her and was slammed by Emmett into the wall. Alice and Rosalie rushed into the room to help subdue Jasper. She rose she had to help him. She had to help Jasper, he was all that mattered. Jasper, Jasper, Jasper. JASPER. She felt a cold hand wrap around her and started to pull against her. She fought she had to get to him. It wasn't fair, Jasper needed her.

The hand pulled her hard and she turned pulled into Esme. "Esme, Jasper needs me to go to him." Robin said breathlessly. The deck door flew open and Edward came through his face twisted as he rushed to help against Jasper. "No Jasper!" she screamed as he was forced out the back door snarling to get past them.

Esme retrained Robin with ease as she fought to follow them. After a few minutes the feeling passed and fear welled up in her body. "What was that?" she asked putting her face in her hands. A second passed and she realized she was alone with one of them. She jumped up and looked at Esme, where did she drop that knife? "I have to go." She said quickly her eyes darting around the room. "I don't think that would be wise." Esme shook her head.

"It will look worse if I get found dead here, I am already bleeding all over the place." Robin said quickly. Esme shook her head and took a step towards her. "I wont tell anyone I promise." Robin said quickly inching to the front door. "I am not worried about that, we will deal with it when it comes times for it. Right now I am worried about what might happen between you, Jasper, and Edward if I were to send you home tonight." Esme said holding up her hands. Robin swallowed hard thinking about how Jasper had jumped at her and she had wanted him bad. None of the others had reacted that way, in fact they had acted exactly opposite.

"You're trying to protect me?" Robin asked swallowing hard. "Of course we are." Esme smiled at her kindly taking another step closer to her. Robin started to back away but realized that if she wanted Esme could have already killed her. "Let's get your arm to stop bleeding, once he gets home we can have Carlisle take a look at that cut."

Robin tentatively stepped toward Esme and tried to control her shaking body. She stopped and bit her lip. Stop it, she is still the same nice woman who gave you dinner and stocked your fridge. Of course she could have been trying to fatten you up, he debate voice chimed in. "Shut up you." she murmured. "Not you, me, debate me." Robin quickly explained closing the gap between them still shaking.

Robin was terrified.


	5. Chapter 5

Esme had stopped the bleeding but on Robin's arm with ease and had wrapped a towel around it in case it started again. Robin sat by the door watching as Esme cleaned the blood her arm had produced up. Robin's cold hands were wrapped around a mug of tea, her body still visibly shaking. The door beside her came open and Robin jumped spilling her tea.

Carlisle shook his head and sat his medical bag down by her side. "Robin." he nodded as if he wasn't angry, more disappointed. "Carlisle." Robin said quietly. "Now, lets take a look at your arm." he said stripping her of the cup of tea. At least she could have scolded him if he tried to lick it and now she had nothing. Shaking Robin extended her arm leaving the towel in her lap.

"Well it doesn't require stitches, a fairly clean cut." He said speaking to her as she had just come over after a kitchen accident. He opened the bag and started to apply iodine to clean it, not faltering as she winced. "Now, I put some liquid stitch on this just to be safe." He said opening a bottle of clear thick liquid. "So Jasper wont smell it." Robin said softly. If it didn't need stitches, he could only be sealing it off for any number of reasons, that one seemed the most likely.

"Yes, very clever." Carlisle smiled starting to paint over the cut. "How is your hand?" he asked meticulously sealing. "Right now it seems pretty ok, but I also just had a pretty large, uh fight or flight going on." she shrugged. "And now?" he asked closing the bottle now he was done. He then took out clean white gauze rolls to wrap the cut.

"Now, I am uh pretty freaked out." she said looking up at Esme. She was engaged in a full out cleaning war, but Robin guessed she had to remove all traces of blood. So when they kill you later there be no evidence, her debate voice piped in. "Well that is understandable." Carlisle nodded finishing his tight wrapping job. He took out a pen light and flashed it in her eyes presumably to check for shock.

"Are we just not going to talk about it?" Robin swallowed hard knowing she was poking a very deadly bear. "Well, from what I understand, you pieced together what we are. Then feeling as if there was only one way to know for sure you cut yourself somewhere you could easily hide and function with. Then when your blood hit the air Jasper lost control. Leaving us here, correct?" Carlisle asked. "Well give the man a prize he just did a sweet cliff notes." Robin said and then started to blush. Perhaps now wasn't the best time for her particular brand of humor.

Carlisle chuckled and started to put the things back in his kit. "Well, now that we are on the same page so to speak. I think I can answer some questions you may have." Carlisle nodded. "I guess the main one is are you going to kill me? Not to be insulting or anything, but I would like to know." Robin said pulling her arm into her lap.

"Well, my family does not kill humans." Carlisle pointed to his amber eyes, a shade darker then what they had been yesterday. Esme joined him now that her cleaning was down and sat at Carlisle's side. "How does that work?" Robin asked. "Well vampires normally have red eyes and they turn black when they are hungry and need to feed. A vegetarian vampires, that is a vampire who feeds off animals eyes are topaz." Esme explained, Carlisle actions of motioning to his eyes falling into place. Well that was a new one by her.

"Ok, so why did Jasper try to attack me then?" Robin asked. "Well as you have noticed, he is nervous around people. He finds our lifestyle rather difficult to adjust to. He was born into a difficult situation." Carlisle said softly. "What happened?" she asked and Esme shook her head. "That is Jasper's story, he tell you if he wants you to know." she said softly. More secrets, awesome she sighed. "Alright well then why did I want to go to him and help him. That is bugging me, he wanted to kill me and I would have let him. But once he was gone my fear kicked in and Esme who did nothing for me to be afraid of set my fear factor off."

"Well Jasper has a special power. In life people have certain traits that as a vampire are amplified. Jasper can feel and manipulate emotions. He basically was tapping into that power to make you want him, either through your sense of him being out numbered, or a lust for him." Carlisle explained. Robin bit her lip, sure Jasper was attractive, but he didn't make her want to crawl into bed strawberries in one hand and whipped cream in the other. She only could guess then it wasn't lust that had tugged at her. "So you all have a little bonus powers?" she asked after a few seconds of silence.

"No, it is rare, however, we do hold a large number of them. Alice, Edwards, myself, and of course Jasper." Edward, of course he had to have a power. After a second it clicked, he could read minds. He had been dialed into her since the seconds she had seen him. She had no real interaction with Carlisle that would give his power away. Alice, she bit her lip. She had warned Edward to get home, and had tried to warn Jasper. "Edward, is a mind reader. He always knows what I am thinking." she said sadly. That is how he had known when to distract her, and how he had known what to distract her with, himself. Esme nodded and grabbed Robin's hand to stroke it in comfort. Robin felt foolish, of course he had been toying with her.

She felt her heart wanting to break. She set her jaw, no she wouldn't let him make a fool out of her any longer. "Ali..Alice has like a spidy sense, she texted Edward telling him to get home, and she called Jasper. To warn him." Robin nodded. "Very perceptive, and fairly accurate. Alice has a touch of clairvoyance. She can see things in the future. When Edward informed us that you thought it wasn't impossible for vampires to exist she looked into the future. She didn't foresee this but something happened to change that." Finding Edward's cell phone, Robin was sure of it. "I found Edward's cell phone and saw a text from Emmett." Robin swallowed.

"Very good." Carlisle said nodding. It was almost as if he was praising her intelligence perhaps he was. She was about to disappoint him. "I am sorry, that is as smart as I get on this power thing Carlisle. I have no idea what you have." she shook her head. "Well, I have an immunity to human blood. It holds no sway over me. That is how I am able to work at the hospital." He smiled reassuringly at her. "Well that is a comfort." Robin said blandly. It made perfect sense, he had perfect self control.

Robin took a deep breath and put her head in her hands. "Are you feeling well?" Carlisle asked. Robin giggled, nodding her head. "Yes, Doc I am fine a little overwhelmed. This is a lot to take in. It is one thing to believe in vampires, it is another to know there is a family of them a hop, skip, and jump away." she sighed. Then panic seized her heart, what if they went away? What if Edward went away?

"Are you going to leave?" she asked quietly looking away. "Well, it is a strong possibility. If you go around and tell people we are vampires. At first people will dismiss it but as time passes others will also start to piece it together." Carlisle said matter-of-factly. "I wont tell anyone. I have to no friends or family, and as pathetic as it is. I sort of felt like…" Tears started to spring to Robin's eyes causing a lump to form in her throat. "Like your family was is a way.." Tears over took her now and Esme pulled her into a hug smoothing her hair. "It's ok." she murmured.

Carlisle moved closer and rubbed her back to comfort her. The compassion of the two vampires overwhelmed Robin and she started to cry harder. For a second she could allow herself to think that they did care for her. That she was not alone in the world, someone was there for her to just be a frightened seventeen year old girl too. She sobbed so hard she started to hiccup so hard her body was racked with it.

Esme released her and went into the kitchen. "I am sorry." Robin sobbed. Esme returned with a glass of ice water. "Sip this it will help." Esme said sitting back down. "You have nothing to be sorry for." Esme continued rubbing her back slowly in circles. Carlisle rose and set his face. "Well first thing is first, we should…" He was interrupted by Edward throwing the front door open. He tossed the keys to the Lotus onto the table.

Robin visibly cringed knowing it was about to hit the fan between them. "Could we have a moment alone?" Edward asked. Robin started shaking her head. "No I want Esme to stay." she said quickly. Edward sighed and crouched down on one knee. "I am not going to hurt you." he said softly.

Robin's mind was whirling with the events of the evening. FOOL! The words surfacing in her mind screaming itself at her. She did not want to be alone with him. "Esme…" she pleaded. Esme looked at Carlisle who stood because he had been asked to leave and not stay. "You will be fine, Edward will protect you." Esme reassured. It wasn't that she was frightened he wouldn't protect her, or even hurt her, psychically. Edward's face looked strained and she remembered he could hear her thoughts. "It's alright, you can go." Robin sighed.

"They are halfway to Counsel Bluffs up north." Edward told Esme and Carlisle who nodded and left through the deck door. Robin tensed the second she heard the door click closed. She bite her lower lip staying silent her eyes taking in Edward. What would he say to her now that he didn't have to try to hide his little secret.

"Robin…I" he started and shifted towards her sending her scrambling back spilling her water on herself. Edward sighed and held his hands up sitting down to be level with her. "I just wanted to make sure you were fine." he said slowly. "Fine? How can I be fine?" she asked her voice shaking. "I meant are you hurt?" he asked. Other then the self inflicted cut, no she was peachy keen. After a few seconds he sighed. "Could you please talk?" he asked.

"What is there to talk about? I already told Esme and Carlisle I wont say anything. I just want to go home." she said her voice graveled from crying. "I can't let you do that, there is a chance that Jasper could escape and circle back for you. He isn't thinking clearly." Edward said sharply. "So, then what? He kills me? Turns me?" Robin asked hotly. He didn't have a right to be angry he had lied to her.

"This is exactly what might happen! I have every right to be angry right now! Do you have any idea danger you put yourself in tonight?" he asked angrily. His handsome face didn't flush, just twisted. "If you had been truthful about what you are I wouldn't have had to do this!" she yelled. "Are you joking? This wasn't just my secret to tell. Not to mention how would you have reacted if I had said I was a vampire?" he asked.

"I would have thought you were insane and ran the other way when I saw you." she said as if it made perfect sense. "Exactly!" he said throwing up his hands if it was suddenly clear. "No instead you wanted to keep me close and pretend you were normal and had a crush on me! I don't like being made a fool of Edward." she shot at him. "That is not why I wanted to get close to you. From the moment I saw you, that was never my intention." Edward said shaking his head. "Then what?" she asked her face crumpling.

"I will admit I didn't want you to figure this out, but… I never meant for you to get hurt or find out." he said. "Well, I did find out. So now what?" she asked her jaw aching from clenching it so it wouldn't quiver. "Now, we will ride out the night. After Jasper feeds he will be free of blood lust for you." Edward said slowly. "Then we just all go to school tomorrow like nothing ever happened?" Robin asked. "Well Jasper and Emmett will be away for a few days just to be safe. But yes, tomorrow Alice, Rose, you, and I will go to school." Edward said softly.

"So, your just going to play human at school? Go with Anna to the dance? Do homework?" she asked hotly. "I guess if that is what you want to happen." he said softly his face looked pained. She didn't want him to leave, but she didn't know if she could bare to see him with some dumb girl. "If you want us to leave, me to leave I will." he said quietly. "You can read minds, you know that isn't what I want." Just because he had fooled her into falling for him didn't mean her emotions weren't real.

They lapsed into silence and Robin bit her lower lip. Was he just not going to address her feelings for him? "Robin… I wanted to keep you close to me. To protect you, to make you smile and laugh." Tears welled up in her eyes. What was he trying to say? "I fell in love with you from the moment I laid eyes on you." She blinked to stay her tears and shook her head. "Stop, Edward that isn't fair." How could he say those things knowing how she felt about him, or at least how she thought she felt. "You were so beautiful sitting there, and you just radiated confidence but underneath it there was just so much more. I could have let the things you were thinking pass if you had been anyone different." Edward said moving closer to her.

Was he being serious, or was this all just some ploy? Did he think that if he pretended that he cared she would keep the secret. Edward's face hardened and he backed away from her. The pain on his face, he had heard her thoughts and they had hurt him. Perhaps he did care for her, maybe he did love her. Or maybe he is embarrassed you figured his plan out, debate Robin chimed in. She was really going to have to kill her debate side. There was only one way to see which was true.

She moved to close the gap between them her hands cradling his cool face. He smelled like outside, wet leaves and mud, but underneath it was clean linen. Robin closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his her heart beat thundering in her ears drowning out any thoughts she had. Edward's cool lips worked against hers causing her heart to beat faster.

After sharing a few moments of kissing where normally she would have deepened the kiss by opening her mouth she pulled away. She opened her eyes to find Edward' closed as if he were saving their kiss. He meant it, he does love me! Her heart sang and she leaned to kiss him again. Edward stopped her and brought his finger to her lips. Her kiss swollen lips felt on fire around his perfect cool digit. "We can't, I could…" he swallowed hard looking as if he wanted to cry. "I could break you not just hurt you but break you." he said quietly. "Oh Edward, you will learn quickly that I do not break easily." She said nuzzling her nose against his and up to kiss his forehead.

"Are you so stubborn all of the time?" he asked grinning looking up at her. Robin laughed and nodded. "Just ask around." she said giggling. "I did, verdict came back yes." he said. Robin started laughing so hard she snorted for the second time that day. She moved away from him covering her face. "Oh My God, I am utterly lame." she groaned. He laughed and stood up sweeping her up in his arms easily.

"Come on lets get you upstairs, and out of your blood tee-shirt." Edward said looking down at Robin who was making a face at him. "I have legs you know." she said flatly. "I am quite aware." Edward said casting a glance at her long legs dangling out from her skirt. Robin blushed, was Edward checking her out? "Ok really set me down." she said looking at him. "With pleasure." Edward said setting her on her feet.

"Follow me, unfortunately Rosalie would kill me if I touched her clothes, you will have to deal with some of mine." Edward said walking up the stairs. Robin followed him and made a face, there were only three rooms up here. "This is my room." He said opening the door. Robin made a face, it was a pretty tidy room, modern comfortable looking couch, a killer stereo system, it's own bathroom, and a door leading to a closet. There was no bed. "You have no bed." Robin said looking at him.

"I don't sleep, why would I need a bed?" He asked opening his closet door. "Rose has a bed." Robin pointed out remembering the large princess four poster bed she had seen. "Well there are other things you do in a bed." Edward said from in the closet. Robin shuddered, three rooms meaning two of them belonged to couples. "Em and Rose?" she asked scrunching her face. She had thought of them as brother and sister, not lovers. "Yeah, we are a family, just …" Robin cut him off. "Ok, stop please this is freaking me out."

Edward laughed and remerged with a dark green button up shirt. "That is the part of all this that is freaking you out?" he asked handing her the shirt. Robin took the shirt and turned around pulling her shirt off of her head. She tossed it up and over her shoulder for Edward to catch. "That is one of my favorite tees too." she sighed and glanced over her pale freckled shoulder hearing the shirt hit the ground.

Edward's gaze was locked on her. "What's the matter? Is it my tattoo?" she asked worriedly slipping his shirt on over her head. She turned back around her brow raised. "I didn't know you had an aversion to ink." she laughed. Edward blinked and shook his head. "Then what is wrong with you?" She asked sitting down on his couch removing her ballet flats. "It was exquisite." He said picking up the tee shirt. "It was just a Billy Idol shirt." she laughed. She was perfectly aware he was speaking of her back, but it was embarrassing to admit it out loud.

"I will get you a new shirt." Edward said throwing it in his trash can. "Why, I can get my own shirt. It might surprise you to know I am very independent and capable." Robin smiled. Edward sat beside her and shook his head. "It might surprise you to know that you don't have to be so tough all of the time. You wont be taken any less seriously." he said softly. Robin sighed and closed her eyes. "I'll work on it, promise." She moved to lay down her legs handing off the edge of the couch looking up at Edward. There were a million things she wanted to ask him. How old was he, where was he from, how could he walk in the sun light…. "Robin, you know this is a bit distracting, you could just ask me." Edward cut in.

"Ok, well how old are you?" Robin asked looking up at him. She reached up and started tracing swirl patterns on his pant leg. "Seventeen." he said grinning at her. "Edward…" Robin said her brows knitting together. "I was born June twentieth in nineteen oh one in Chicago Illinois. My parents were named Edward and Elizabeth, my father was a lawyer. The year before I was old enough to be drafted the influenza epidemic ravaged Chicago. Carlisle was the attending physician, with her dying breath my Mother begged Carlisle to save me in his own special way. He changed me saving me from dying the same way my parent's had." Edward said looking down at Robin.

She bit her lip and made a face. "That makes you one hundred and seven years old." she said after a while. It hadn't taken her that long to do the math, but really she didn't know what else to say. "I came to terms with my parent's death a long time ago. It's alright." he said softly. "What was your name?" Robin asked turning to lay on her stomach her legs bent and bare kicking in the air. "Edward Anthony Masen." He said closing his eyes as Robin began to write the name against his leg with the point of her finger.

"What about the sun thing?" Robin asked quickly to change the subject. She did want to know after all. "Well, my skin reacts to bright sunlight. I'll show you sometime." he smiled down at her. "So the overcast sky doesn't cause this reaction?" she asked. "No, as long as it is cloudy we are fine." he nodded. "Hmmm, interesting." she laughed. Edward's fingers started to play in her hair and she sighed contently surprising herself. Her face crumbled in a questioning look. Had he really visited her last night or had it really been a dream. She looked up at Edward and raised her brow in question.

"If you want to know you have to ask." Edward said grinning at her boyishly. "Why when you know what I am thinking?" she asked tilting her head to give him more hair to play with. "Well if I just answered your thoughts all the time people would start to wonder at school. Not to mention I wouldn't be able to hear your voice if you stopped talking." he sighed. "Fair enough. Did you sneak into my house last night and carry me to bed, then play with my hair until I fell asleep?" she asked blushing looking up at him through her lashes. "Yes, I couldn't help myself. After you hurt your hand I had to see you." Robin swallowed hard blushing. "Did you stay?" she asked almost too quite to hear. "Wouldn't you have stayed?" he responded.

"If I had broken into a girl's house to watch her sleep while she was under the influence of a narcotic pain killer? Not a chance." She said laughing. "When you say it like that…" Edward made a face but it looked like a model pout from a Calvin Klein ad. "It makes you sound like a creeper." Robin nodded.

"No but I am glad, it makes me feel better somehow." she smiled at him. "You really aren't frightened are you?" Edward asked. Robin shook her head. How could she be scared when they all had been kind to her even when she had offered them scorn and hatefulness. "Robin stop, you have been through a lot. I understand, we all do. You should have heard Esme going on about how concerned she was about you after Rose told her you were living on fast food." Edward laughed.

"Well, I was sort of pissed about that. But after I got over being angry that someone had found out I am pretty much a hobo it was kind of nice. Like you know my Mom had gone shopping when she was home." Robin sighed sadly. "They were gone a lot?" Edward asked then shook his head. "You don't have to talk about it."

"It's ok. Yeah, my parents were the most in love people I had ever seen. When I was little they would alternate traveling for business, it was so sad for the one that stayed behind. When I got old enough to stay by myself they would go away for a day, two at the most. I could tell it was really hard on them being so rushed all the time. So as I got older and older they stayed away longer and longer as they needed. They emancipated me one my sixteenth birthday. You know because if I got in a car wreck I could consent to my own treatment. So I could just stay over night if I had to for debates. God debates…" she sighed. That was one thing she didn't do anymore that she probably would never do again.

"Debates? Why not, I saw a state championship trophy in the case with your name on it." Robin sighed thinking back to the day she had won that trophy. Tears would have sprung up if she had anymore to cry. "I love plaid love it, Burberry. I wanted more then anything a purple plaid Burberry scarf. I had made it all the way to state debate, and so my Mother decided she would get me one, because she was proud no matter if I had won or lost. So they went to the Burberry store in New York, and when they came out of the store they were mugged. The kid, my same age was holding a gun and it went off. He said he just got nervous after that and kept shooting." Robin paused taking a breath before going on.

"You know they were really proud because I was so smart and analytical like my Dad and so artistic like my Mom. A perfect blend of them. They were really proud, they kept calling me and calling me you know? So I was sitting there at the stupid table taking notes and my phone starts to vibrate. It was a New York number, so I just thought they were calling from the hotel or a restaurant to see how I had done. Well I am on a roll in my cross fire and my phone rings again and I just ignore it. Well during rebuttal I see my coach leave with her phone in hand and when she comes back she indicates for me to take prep time. I just kept barreling through and when we were done I was packing my brief case while the judges were laving. It takes a while for them to get all the sheets together and declare a winner. My coach comes over and just says 'Robin you should check your voicemail.' That was all she said to me."

"So I leave the room and call my voicemail. It was a Doctor calling to inform me that my parents had been mugged and shot. As the executor of their living will I needed to contact him immediately. I left, and got a cab to the airport and was on the next flight to New York. By the time I landed they had both died." Robin shook her head. "They were dying and I was arguing the Patriot Acts violation of the Constitution. To add insult to injury, I was in the airport with their coffins when my Coach calls to tell me I was State Champion for Cross Ex debate. She didn't ask me if they were alright, if I was alright. I will never debate again. It very well cost my parents their lives." Robin said her face twisted in sorrow a lump in her throat.

"If I had just taken that call I might have made it in time. I could have made them do something that could have saved them. Even if I couldn't I at least would have gotten to say good bye." Robin sighed. Edward cradled her face in his hand stroking it with his thing fingers.

"It's ok, I wanted to tell you." she said when he didn't say anything to her. "It was horrible, and I do have a lot of guilt over it. You know I don't do so many thing any more. I don't make art, or make waffles on Sundays, or go out. I just sit there and try to hold on to the things they loved." she sighed.

"Robin your parents loved you. That is what you should hold on too." Edward said softly. Robin nodded. Edward was right, she should hold on to who she was. No matter what, hadn't it felt good to just do a five minute sketch, to joke around about Lit class? She had almost pushed people away that she really was starting to care for, just to avoid feeling.

"Your right. I'll work on it I promise." she grinned a little. "You know what? Something else you should work on? The Tree book." Edward said grinning at her. Thankfully he was great at a seamless change of topic, brownie points for the boyfriend. Robin paused and made a face, was Edward her boyfriend? It's not like he had asked her to be his girlfriend or anything. On the other hand they had kissed and he had played with her hair and stroked her face. Did humans and vampires date? Was it weird for him being over a hundred and she was just seventeen?

"Robin…" Edward said chuckling. "Right, with the mind reader and all that." she sighed. "No, it is just a little amusing, you think a million things at once." he laughed. Robin blushed and scrunched her nose. "Well, this is a lot to take in. Excuse me for trying to sort it out. Geeze, if this is how your going to be I go home and take my chances with Jasper." Robin said sitting up. "That's not funny." Edward said shaking his head. "Sorry." she replied trying to sound appropriately earnest, but she had thought it was funny.

"Speaking of home, I really do need to go. Check on my ladies, thirty minutes tops." Robin said pouting out her lower lip. "I would say that you could do it, except I don't think they would like you there without me, and it would require leaving me alone, and I need panties for tomorrow. Are you ready for that sort of responsibility?" Robin asked trying to keep a straight face of the idea of the perfect gentleman Edward sorting through her clothes.

"Alright, you convinced me. We as in you and I will go and get some clothes, take the dogs out, and get your school stuff." Edward said carefully rising so he wouldn't pull her hair. "Maybe we should just stay there, you know where there is a bed. I sort of need sleep." Robin shrugged. "Don't push it. Trust me you will be alright on the couch for one night." Edward said pointing at her sternly. Robin laughed shaking her head. "Looks like you wont be doing the other thing that goes on in a bed tonight then." Robin teased. Of course despite Edward was amazingly beautiful she wouldn't have slept with him. She was still a virgin and planned to stay that way until she was absolutely sure she loved someone in a forever sort of way.

Edward raised his brow grinning at her. "Really?" he asked. "Oh fuck my life." she scoffed standing up beet red. "If it makes you feel better, I am one too." he offered taking her hand in his cool one. "But you're over a hundred years old. Not to mention the end all and be all of sexy. Your telling me that in all that time you never?" she shook her head. "Never." he nodded. "But your eternally seventeen, physically your body is like…" She shook her head in disbelief. "Well I want to be in love, and I have never had that feeling." he said shrugging.

"This is mind boggling." she said in disbelief looking at him. "Why? Your seventeen, your body has urges. Your incredibly beautiful." he pointed out. "Yeah, but ok point taken." she sighed giving up hope. "So do you like pleasure yourself a million times a day or what?" she asked giggling out the line from Zoolander. "I rather not talk about it." Edward said in a clipped voice, almost as if he were embarrassed. "Awww and probably with this hand too." Robin shook her head as if disgusted.

Once they were downstairs Edward grabbed the keys to the Lotus and Robin rolled her eyes. "We can't just walk?" she asked raising her brow. "We should take your car home, and if Jasper came back I could probably outrun him." Edward grinned. "Whatever, you just want to drive my car." Robin replied.

"That too." Edward admitted opening the door for her. "So did you leave your phone in my car on purpose?" Robin asked climbing in. "No why would I do that?" Edward asked puzzled. "Sometimes people do that… never mind." she shook her head figuring it was a generational thing.

Once Edward had pulled into her garage the dogs were barking loudly pawing at the door that opened into the house. "They really don't like me." Edward sighed. "Well they just don't know you yet." Robin reassured opening the door. They dogs started to run in circles barking around Robin as she walked to the deck door to let them loose. Once they were outside she joined Edward in the kitchen who handed her the keys for the Lotus.

"How did you get in the other night anyway?" she asked making a face. "Well, you don't lock your doors." he shrugged. "What are you talking about of course I lock the doors." she made a face, the front door was always locked, and to get in through the garage you needed the code or the remote. "The deck door, the door to the patio both are not locked." Edward said shrugging again. "Yeah, but you have to be in the back yard for those. Which is fenced, by a fence I can barely see over." she scoffed. "That I can jump over without braking a sweat."

"Well…" she bit her lip working a her Mother's house key off the ring. "Robin…" Edward started. "I know, I am giving you a large amount of trust with this key." she said holding it out in her palm. "I don't need a key to get in." he said shaking his head. "No, you don't and it probably is just as easy to use the key as it is to hop the fence." she bit her lip trying to pick her words carefully. "It's more that the key, the key represents that I am ready to let someone, to let you in. Look I am not saying lets get married, turn me into a vampire, or even lets have sex. Just you know your more then welcome to be here if you want." She said nervously. "But that is your Mother's key." he said softly. Robin grinned. "I know and she would want you to have it because you got me to draw again. Notice it isn't my Dad's because he would tell you he has a gun and a very big back yard." she laughed. "If your sure…" he said reaching out for it. "You already know I am. Besides, I can always take it back if I am not." She said spilling the cold key into his hand. "Besides, it will let Esme meddle easier this way. I doubt fence leaping is as easy when your carrying a grocery store." She shrugged leaving him.

She went to her room and tossed her book bag on the bed. Then she went to the closet and started to look at her clothes. She pulled out a pair of jeans and one of her Dad's button up black shirts, a purple pin striped vest to go over it. "You still have their clothes?" Edward asked from behind her standing inside the walk in's door frame. "Shit!" She jumped turning around. "Make a sound or something." she sighed. "But yeah, I still have their clothes." She said making a face. "This is an Armani Exchange shirt, I am not throwing it out. My Mom has Dior dresses in here." Albeit with her boob job none of them fit Robin right. "I know, it is sick, I should house clean. I am just not ready to give their things away." She made a face. "Well where are your clothes?" he asked. Robin blushed most of her clothes were in the abandoned part of the house. She had simply bought replacements of her favorite and most basic clothes.

"Are you serious? All of your things are upstairs and you just don't go up there?" he asked pushing himself off the door frame leaving. "Edward, where are you going?" Robin asked dropping the clothes in her arms on the floor. He didn't say anything and Robin knew where he was heading. "Edward!" she yelled started to walk after him. "Edward!" she yelled again. "I am going to liberate your clothes." he said from the stairs.

She started to run and skidded across the hard wood floor turning the corner to look up the stairs. She ran up them as Edward opened the door to the guest room. "Edward stop." Robin said as he opened the door to her room. She stopped dead in her tracks, she hadn't been up there since the day she had packed for State. On the wall was a painting of her favorite photo from beside her bed. She was about four swinging between her parents each holding one arm keeping her little feet from touching the ground.

"We shouldn't be up here." she said softly turning her head away from the picture. "We can't be up here." She said looking for Edward. The light was on in her room Edward's profile silhouetted in her closet door. "We can't be up here." she repeated. "Why it's your house, your room." Edward said softly. "I don't come up here anymore." she said shaking her head. "You're up here now." He said. "Just come out of there." she insisted. "Not until you come in here." Edward shook his head. "Why are you pushing this?" she asked.

"Someone has too." he said. "Fine." she replied stubbornly. If that was how he wanted to play it she would play it like that. She took a step into her room and was instantly hit with the smell of oil pastels and acrylic paint. "I am in here can we go now?"

"It isn't that bad is it?" Edward asked. Robin sighed looking at her wrought iron bed with a mountain of pillows on it. In the middle of the bed was a battered purple doodle bear she had since she was five years old. "Come on don't you miss Doodle?" he asked going to the bed picking up her bear. "Ok you leave Doodle out of this, she didn't ask to be… I am talking about my childhood bear." she groaned. Edward held her out to Robin who snatched her up. "I thought you were liberating my clothes?" Robin asked nuzzling her nose into the bear. "That is because I didn't realize there was a much more valuable captive up here." he grinned. "Hey, shut it. I love this bear, your just a boyfriend." she grumbled.

"Well, beings your up here, it will be easier next time." Edward said moving to envelope Robin in his arms. "I guess. Your totally ruining my moment with the bear here." Robin said sarcastically. "Oh now that your being defensive it is the bear, not Doodle?" Edward grinned into her hair. "Watch it you." She smiled up at him. She sighed in contentment and pecked his lips affectionately. "But seriously thank you." "Ok, well we should get back, I have to make a bed for you." Edward sighed. "Yes, damn me and my sleeping." She laughed as he let go of her.

She looked down at the bear in her arms and bit her lip. "Edward…can I bring my bear?" she asked in a small voice. "I think that would be alright." he grinned at her. "Ok, well, I will be ready in a few." she nodded looking at the photo on her bed side table. "I will go pack those clothes you left in the closet." he nodded leaving her alone in the room. Robin went to the picture and picked it up touching her parent's faces. "I'm sorry I abandoned you up here. I didn't even think to come get you. I miss you so much." She said caressing their forms over the glass. "I feel like, like this is my fault. If I hadn't been at state you wouldn't have gone to stupid Burberry. If I had just answered my phone, if I was less driven to win the coach would have called the debate. There are a million of things I could have done and you would still be here." She sniffed feeling her tear ducts starting to leak now that they had time to refill.

"That was Edward. He is, different really different. I think you guys would like him, well not so much you Daddy." she sniffed a laughing caught in her throat. "Actually you would like that he is a nice guy. Well, sort of, no he is. Just interesting. He pushes me you know, sometimes it is in my mind but others… he just I don't know. He is different." She closed her eyes and kissed the cool glass. "I think he is going to help me be alright again. I promise I won't forget you again ok." She tucked the frame against her chest and left her room leaving the door open.

She clomped down the steps and into her parent's old room and set the photo down on the bedside table. She raised a brow looking at Edward standing in front of the dresser. "We ready?" she asked. "Almost, your laptop and everything she ready, your clothes are good to go, just …' He said motioning at the dresser. "You don't want to open the drawer and be attacked by filly unmentionables?" She asked going to his side.

"Are you a mind reader now?" he asked making a face. She pulled open the drawer reveling pajamas and socks. "No, you just got excited at my bare back, I figure boy shorts and bras might be above your comfort level." She said grabbing a pair of boxer shorts, tank top, and socks. "Besides, those are in the next drawer." She said closing the top drawer and then opening the second one. "Which is not booby trapped to attack when someone opens it." she giggled scooping out a set before closing the drawer. "Not so hard." she laughed. "I know your not making fun of me." he said grinning at her. "Then you know wrong son." she shook her head holding in a laugh.

She took the pile of clothes in her arms and stuffed it on top of her school books. "Ok, well, I guess we are ready." she smiled. "I guess we are." He said walking over and grabbing her bag. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "You going to carry my bear too?" she grinned. "No, you can get her. Grab a jacket, it's getting cold and it might start to rain again." Edward shook his head.

Robin left the room and grabbed the track jacket from the back of the chair before letting in the dogs. "Ok ladies, I have to spend the night with Edward. No pouting, he is insisting and for some reason there is safer then here. I need you to protect the house incase someone tries to break in. No parties, no fighting, don't eat all the food in the house. No boys, I know I sound like a hypocrite but when your as old as I am you can make the rules." she said wagging her finger at the dogs before filling their bowls.

She turned and Edward was smiling at her shaking his head. "What?" she asked putting her hands on her hips Doodle hanging from one of her hands. "You are by far the strangest person I have ever met." he said shouldering her laptop bag and back pack. "Hey, the last time I left and didn't lay down the rules, they tracked in mud and water, and threw the breaker. If I don't make the rules clear they will run amok." she shook her head.

"Ok, strangely that made sense." Edward laughed. Robin nodded. "True life, now lets get out of this pop sickle stand." She laughed going to the front door. Once they were outside she grinned. "Edward, my key is at your house in my purse. " He locked the front door and started down the drive with Robin following.

Once they were back at Edward's and up in his room Robin got her laptop out and looked at him. "Wifi?" she asked. "Yeah, should be good to go." he nodded leaving the room. Robin took the opportunity to change into her pajamas. She neatly folded her clothes and put them on top of her shoes hiding her bra in her shirt by his door. By the time he returned with several blankets and pillows she was laying on his couch working on the Tree Book assignment iTune playing on shuffle.

"What are those for?" she asked looking over her shoulder. "I have seen you sleep you need more then the couch. Don't worry, it won't be bad." he assured. Robin snorted looking at the numerous comforters. "It might be better then some beds I've slept on." "Well, I don't want to offer up anyone's bed beings the idea creeps you out so much so this will have to do. I'll get one tomorrow." he said spreading the blankets out. "Aww but then where would we play Twister?" she laughed. "Well you should get one for the mere fact that you need a place to study, speaking of which are you going to work on Tree Book?" she asked. "I already did my half." he replied adding more padding to the pallet.

"What? Bull shit." she said sitting up. "I don't sleep." he shrugged standing up tossing a binder at her with half of the information in it. "All that is missing is your samples and work." he grinned. "Cheater." she grumbled. "I could easily do your half." he offered tossing pillows on the pallet. "That would make me a cheater or a bad partner." she shook her head.

"If you insist." he shrugged. "I do, I suppose you already have all of Dracula annotated and outlined for class discussion. " she said starting to type again. "I have read it I don't need to re-read it." he shook his head. "Well you have to make margin notes, you note annotate and turn it in when we are done, so you better get on it." she said saving her work. "Done?" he asked watching Robin as she closed her laptop. "No, we have like two weeks to do this. I am about half way, ok a quarter of the way. I need to do the chapters that were do today and the ones for tomorrow." She said sitting up to grab her book.

"Well can I sit with you and do some shopping for a bed while you read?" Edward asked. "No forbidden in fact your banished from my sight." Robin rolled her eyes and patted the couch where she had been laying. Edward sat down taking his own laptop and turning it on. Robin leaned aginst the arm of the couch book and purple RSVP pen in hand and draped her long legs over Edward's. He rested the laptop on her legs and started searching the internet. "Edward?" Robin asked a little uneasy in the quite. "iTunes?" He grabbed a little remote and pressed a button causing his stereo to fire up.

Robin smiled at started to read making notes in the margins. She jumped a little as Edward's cool fingers of his left started to drawl swirls on her calf muscles. It was nice and she hoped he wouldn't stop because of her surprise and he didn't.

"California King is what you sleep in now right?" Edward asked about an hour later. "Mmmhmm." Robin said not looking up from her book. "You know you stopped taking notes like five chapters ago." Edward said looking at her. "What, damn it." she said flipping through the pages. "Why didn't you say anything?" she cried finding the page she had stopped on. "You were very engrossed in the story. I didn't want to disturb you." he shrugged. "But you interrupt me about the bed? You suck." She sighed starting to take notes on what she had already read.

"Now your not enjoying it." Edward sighed a little while later. "Your not rubbing my leg. She teased closing the book marking her place with her pen. "Did you get the required chapters done?" Edward inquired rubbing her calves his strong fingers working on her tense muscles. She yawned and nodded her head. "I was trying to get a little ahead." Edward shut his laptop and took her closed book. "Well you should go to bed." he said softly as Robin rubbed her eyes.

"Kay." she nodded yawning again. Robin moved off the couch onto the mound of blankets and pillows. She crawled under the top most comforter and watched as Edward turned off the lights and the music. "I need the music." Robin yawned half asleep. Edward laid down beside her tucking her in. "No you don't." he said softly starting to play with her hair. She started to sleepily protest and he started to hum in a rich tenor voice.


	6. Chapter 6

AN- Sorry for the delay dear readers. School has been hell lately and my professor in math is offering extra credit for tutoring hours at the CAS which I couldn't pass up. I am working on the next chapter right now.

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Robin's eyes protested at opening but her body was being shaken and the rhythm to her sleep was gone. "What?" she groaned. "Time to get ready for school." Edward grinned down at her. Robin fumbled for her phone at the side of the pallet and noticed it was fifteen till six. "It is five forty five, wake me at six thirty." she grumbled closing her eyes and turning over. "Well Esme is making you waffles, and you have to let your dogs out before school." Edward said the amusement in his voice grating. "Waffles?" Robin sighed. "Waffles, come on you don't want to hurt her feelings." Edward said shaking her.

"Fine I am up." she said sitting up. "There was that so hard?" he asked tickling under her chin. Robin smacked him with her battered bear growling. Edward laughed and pulled her to her feet. "Shower is through there." he pointed. Robin dropped her bear on the pallet and pulled her bag dragging it behind her as she went.

She showered making due with Edward's meager bathroom supplies that didn't smell inherently like a man. Once she was finished she dressed and applied her make up. "Do you have mousse?" she called from the bathroom. "No." Edward replied. Of course not. She sighed hoping her hair wouldn't be to dry to apply it in once she went to let the dogs out.

"Edward what time is it?" she asked poking her head out into the room. Edward was gone, he had just been in there. "Awesome." she sighed leaving the bathroom her pajamas in hand. She sat down on his couch and pulled her socks on to realize she didn't bring sock shoes but ballet flats. "Double awesome." she sighed starting to pull her shocks off.

She looked up hearing a cough and Edward was sitting in the window. "I let Jade and Butternut out." he grinned tossing her can of mousse and a pair of her Chuck Taylor shoes. "You climbed out the window?" she asked fumbling with the objects after failing to catch all three. "Well you wanted mousse, and you grabbed socks last night, but no shoes to go with them." he shrugged. "Well, that was up and above the call of duty." she said sourly putting mousse in her palm then shaking it through her curls wildly.

"A thank you, no?" he laughed. "Someone is not a morning person." he laughed. She shrugged and started to pull her shoes on after fixing her socks. "No spunky sarcastic remark? Not even bear battery?" he asked. Robin shook her head standing up. She started to put her book back in her bag deciding to leave her clothes and laptop for pick up later.

She blinked and pushed her glasses up her nose only to realize she had left them at home and was wearing contacts. "Don't." she grunted as Edward started to move out of the window. "But you want your glasses, and I could let the dogs back in. Then we wouldn't even have to swing by there. You could enjoy your breakfast." he teased. "This is fine." she shrugged, though she did want her glasses and it was sweet that he was willing to get them and brave her fat barking dogs.

"Breakfast!" Esme called from downstairs. Robin yawned and stood up. "You go ahead, I want to get ready." Edward shooed her. Robin simply stood and left the room clomping down the stairs. "Morning, how did you sleep?" Esme asked setting a plate of waffles down in front of her. "Good, thanks for the food." she nodded started to butter them up. Esme poured her a glass of milk and sat warm syrup by her plate.

"Edward mentioned they were your favorite." she smiled sitting down to read the paper. Alice and Rosalie came into the kitchen grinning. "You sleep with a teddy bear?" Alice asked giggling. Robin shot her a look before starting to pour on syrup. She couldn't believe Edward had told on her like that. "You were so adorable cuddling it while you slept." she laughed. "Alice, I swear…" Robin started then her mouth dropped open.

Both Alice and Rosalie looked amazing. She suddenly felt ugly in her punky outfit and pushed her plate away and Esme pushed it back towards her. "You should eat, you had blood lose and a stressful night." she smiled. "Speaking of which how is Jasper?" Robin asked cutting herself a bite. "He is fine now, he just wants to take a day to be sure." Esme said patting her hand not concentrating on eating.

"Yes, this is Doctor Cullen, Emmett and Jasper aren't feeling well today. I am afraid they will not be in." Carlisle said speaking into his phone entering the kitchen. Robin just sat silent eating while Rosalie glared at her over the paper she was reading. That was all she needed the blonde bombshell goddess being pissed at her. Carlisle snapped her phone shut and then smiled at Robin. "I trust you slept well." She nodded and sipped her milk. "Good." he said sitting down picking up some of the paper.

Robin put her fork down sighing. It was awkward being the only one eating in a room of perfect people. "Sorry, about the whole thing last night." she shrugged. "You mean where Edward got to drive the Lotus?" Rosalie asked. Robin made a face, that was what she was pissed about? "I was talking about the blood letting, but that too I guess."

"Well you are the only one who has driven the Aston Martin." Edward pointed out entering the kitchen. He sat Robin's book bag beside her as well as her glasses. Robin sighed shaking her head, now she would have to throw her contacts away with no where to put them. Edward grinned and slid her contacts case to her. "You just think of everything don't you?" she grinned shaking her head.

"I could pack you a lunch if you would like." Esme offered clearing her plate away leaving the milk. "No it is cool, school food is…" Robin shrugged, what could you really defend school food with. "That would be nice Esme." Edward sat sitting down taking out his copy of Dracula to make notes. "You don't have to." Robin shook her head. "Well I am sure it would be better for you if she did." Carlisle said softly as Esme started to bustle. "I don't want to be a bother…" Robin protested. "It is nothing Esme really likes that sort of thing." Alice giggling wiggling her brows at Edward.

"Whatever." Robin yawned. She opened her contacts case and removed her contacts plunking them into the saline and closed the lid slipping her glasses on. By the time she had done so a little white paper bag lunch sat in front of her. "You do know I know that your vampires, and all this food your not going to eat, so it is all just for show right?" she asked rubbing her temples. Esme frowned slightly and sighed. "Well I will admit I got a little carried away, it is just that you are a growing girl. You can't live off of take out." "So now I have two housefuls of food to eat?" Robin laughed.

On one hand it was incredibly sweet, on the other she was going to get fat. "You wont get fat." Edward chuckled. "You stay out of my head." she growled. "It is much easier when your half asleep then when your mind is racing a million miles an hour." he shrugged. "Yeah well take that." she said picturing herself naked. Edward froze and looked at her. "Yeah, that is right, my secret anti-Edward weapon."

"Oh, that will just make him look more." Rosalie chuckled. "Speaking of which when do I get my pillows back Edward?" Robin laughed. "You pillow blocked the whole house didn't you?" He shrugged. "Well today, I ordered bed clothes and a bed for Robin's comfort. They should arrive today." "I will look out for them." Esme nodded. "You guys are to good at this whole thing you know that?" Robin asked standing up stretching. "We have had a long time to perfect it." Rosalie grinned.

Robin noticed Alice was being strangely quite and waved her hand in front of her face. "She having an aneurysm?" "No she is seeing something." Edward said putting his book down. "They make it back in one piece. But… the bear doesn't pull through fluff everywhere." Alice held in her giggles as she pretended to dry her tears. She looked at Edward still angry he had blown her secret then back at Alice. "They came in and checked on you when they got home." Edward held up his hands in defense.

Robin sighed and stood up, she didn't have to take this sort of ribbing from a gorgeous vampire. "Alice." Edward snapped. "It's fine. Thank you for breakfast and lunch Esme. I'll see you guys later, tell Jasper I am sorry when he gets in?" "Of course." Esme nodded. Robin turned stuffing her contacts case in her pocket and grabbing her purse and back pack before walking towards the door.

"Come on she is just teasing, don't leave." Edward said moving behind her stripping her of her bags. "Edward I don't want to spend the rest of the day being teased about Doodle." Robin said matter-of-factly placing her hands on her hips. "She wont say another word I promise." he said wrapping his arms around her looping them through the arcs of her own arms. "Besides, your hand." he smiled resting his head on her shoulder. Robin sighed and shook her head. "My hand is not so hurt that I can't drive. It might have never been, it could all be a scheme so you could drive me around." Robin mused trying to pull free of him. His prodigious strength held her in place so he could place kisses at the nape of her neck. Robin nearly melted in place. "Cheater." she grumbled feeling his lips form a smile against her neck.

"We should get going. I need to swing my things by my house." Robin groaned unhappily. "Already taken care of." he said planting a last cool kiss on her neck. "I bet the dogs were super pissed all those visits sans me." She giggled as Edward pulled his arms from around her. "They weren't happy." he grinned at her. "They wouldn't listen to a word I said when I tried to lay down the rules." Robin laughed and shook her head.

"Are we going to leave or are you going to make out all day?" Rosalie asked brusquely. "Let's go." Robin nodded bending to pick up her back pack that was quickly whisked way by Edward. "Thank you." she simply sighed shaking her head. She knew he was just being gentlemanly but she wasn't accustomed to having things carried for her.

They got into the car and Robin sat up front gazing out the window. Edward was so different then any boy she had ever dated and her one serious relationship. Then again he was unlike anyone she had ever met. They all were and more then just technically. It was more their ease and the open comfort she loved about being around them.

Once they were at school Robin got out and looked into the car. "Guys coming?" she asked. "I need to talk to the girls, we'll be in." Edward nodded once. "Ok." she made a face feeling Edward might be about to scold them. She shouldered her bag and made sure she had her lunch and entered the building.

Leaning against her locker was a tall wiry muscled guy with short curly hair and a beard. His face lit up as she approached. "Hey Robs." he said hugging her smelling of muscle pain crème and sweat. "Colten." she nodded biting her lower lip. Colten Penrod had been her one serious boyfriend, a regular perfect guy. He had amazing grades, was in several sports and President of their class. They had separated shortly after her parents had passed because Robin asked for some space.

"So…" he brushed some of her hair from her face. "Your using a new shampoo." he commented. Of course the one day she showered not in her own shower he would get close to her. "Anyway, so Homecoming is coming up. I know you said you wanted some space and I think I have been really good about giving it to you. So I was wondering if you would reward me by going to the dance with me."

Robin felt her face crumble. They had been a good fit when she had been a shiny happy person, but now. "Come on Robs don't make that face. What are you going to do not go to the dance?" he asked. Robin pulled away and sighed. "Someone already asked me." she said quietly. Colten pushed Robin against her locker looking down into her eyes. "Did you say yes?" he asked. Robin looked away not wanting to hurt him.

"Who?" he asked hitting the locker beside her. Robin faced him her lips pursed. "We aren't dating …" she started, he hit the locker again. "No, who is it? I have been crazy for you ever since we were kids. You wanted space and I gave it to you, now some guy sweeps in and takes my place who is it? Jeff? David?" he yelled. "I asked for space because you can't give me the things I need!" Robin yelled back at him.

"You didn't even give me a chance. So who is it who is this guy you decide was so worth your time?" He yelled spittle building at the corner of his mouth. "Hey!" Edward shouted from the far end of the hall. Colten's head snapped to look at Edward and then back at Robin. "Him? You're with him now?" he asked shaking his head. "Colten, you need to calm down, come on let's just go outside and talk." Robin said picking up his hand.

Colten pulled his hand away and took Robin's face in his hand squishing her face in his large powerful hands. "Did you do it? Did you loose it to him?" he asked. Robin shook her head. "No, but it was never going to be you." Robin said her jaw set despite the crushing pressure there. Edward pulled Colten from her and pushed him back. "You know what? I don't need this! I don't need you. Be careful man she'll rip your heart out." Colten said pulling the bottom of his jacket and turning stalking away.

"Wow, he has a big boy temper on him." Alice chuckled. Robin nodded rubbing her jaw. "He is always has had a jealous streak." "Are you alright?" Edward asked gently touching her chin turning it inspecting the red pressure prints. "Yeah, I am peachy keen." She nodded. It would take a lot more then that to phase her. "Well that is one way to announce you're dating." Rosalie laughed. "For sure, right?" Robin laughed.

"That's all you have to say?" Edward asked a little anger creeping into his face. "Well, I can't say anything. I asked him for space because I needed someone he couldn't be for me. I was too much of a wreck to really deal with it. I knew he wasn't going to move on he has been in love with me since like Kindergarten." she sighed. "I have no one to blame but myself. I should have handled it better. I really didn't think he would react so…" Robin shrugged because she had no words for the scene that had unfolded.

"Are you upset with me?' she asked looking at Edward feeling a blush come up into her cheeks. What if he thought she was a monster for leaving him dangling over the months, for breaking it off like that, scared she would break his heart. Edward shook his head and pressed his cool lips to her forehead. "No, not at all. At least I know your awake now." he teased. "Well as sweat as this is I don't want to be late." Rosalie said peeling away from them.

"We should get going too." Robin nodding hearing the first bell. "So what dress are you wearing to Homecoming?" Alice asked looking over at Robin. "I don't…" "Robin don't say it." Edward interrupted. "Don't say what?" Alice asked her eyes narrowing. "For real don't say what? That I don't have a dress picked out yet?" she made a face her expression eclipsed by Alice squealing in delight. "Oh, I see your point." Robin grumbled. "As if he could have hidden an opportunity to shop from me." Alice chattered.

As they made their way to class Alice continued to chatter on about dresses. Even through class she sent rapid fire text messages to Robin's phone about dresses while Robin took notes. By the time class was through she never wanted to see the word dress again.

"So after school you, Rose, and I will go get dresses. Is the shopping good in Chicago?" Alice asked as they walked to Envio Bio. "I guess, but that is like a seven hour drive, we wouldn't get there in time to shop, and it would eat up the whole freaking night." Robin shook her head. "We could fly out of KCI." Alice suggested. "And I would spend a bunch of money on a dress I would wear once?" "Didn't you mention you had a bunch of your Mom's designer dresses?" Edward suggested. "Yeah, but she had a boob job, so she was more endowed." Robin pointed out. "It is not that big of a deal, I can just get something from Macy's." Robin shrugged. "Like everyone else? Not! We can look at what you have, and if it is acceptable we can get the bust taken in." Alice smiled. "If not it is Chicago." Alice grinned evilly.

"Alice has a passion for this sort of thing." Edward shrugged as Robin looked to him for help. "You could have given a girl some warning." Robin shot at him. "Why this is going to be fun." Alice insisted as they took seats at the lab tables trying desperately to squeeze all three at one lab table. They manage pretty well considering Edward and Alice only had to pretend to work while Robin actually worked. All the while rumors swirling that Edward had stolen Robin from Colten. Robin didn't understand she and Colten hadn't been together for months.

"Your book is coming along rather nicely." the aid remarked as he passed Edward and Robin's book. "I hope she isn't being to tough on you." he said cheerfully. "Actually Robin and Edward are getting along so well she is going to be his baby mama." Alice joked. "Well…" the aid just turned laving them alone. Robin started to laugh and shake her head. "Baby mama…" Robin giggled starting to pack her things away before the bell would sound. "That was evil." "What?" Alice asked grinning devilishly at them. "Your hopeless." Edward sighed.

"Well, you two make it so easy." Alice laughed. Robin sighed standing as the bell rang. Edward grabbed her things to carry. "Wouldn't want to harm junior in there." Alice said patting Robin's stomach. Whispers started to fire up and Robin yanked her things from Edward. "I hate you so much right now." Robin said stalking out of the room.

She sat her things on a table pushed against the wall and retrieved her book to sit in the ring of chairs for the class discussion and opened her book. She started to take notes where she had left off not looking over as Edward sat on one side of her and Alice on the other side. "Go away." she hissed. Edward started to rise but Robin shook her head. "I didn't mean you, I like you." she smiled looking over at him. "I just wanted to remind you of that. So if you like me why does it matter what people say about us?" he grinned. Robin sighed feeling her anger fizzle away. "You couldn't let me be angry for two seconds?" she asked crinkling her nose. Edward just shrugged.

Once the bell rang and people had settled in they started to discuss the first couple chapters. Less then half the class had done the assigned reading and they were assigned a silent reading hour with essays due on Monday. "This is ridiculous." Robin growled moving back to the table where her things were. "Well, it is a punishment." Edward said softly. "Yeah, for not doing something I did." she shot back.

"Mister Cullen and Miss Gann, this is to be a silent reading hour." the owl like literature teacher snapped at them. "Well, seeing as how I did the assigned reading, I figured I could use the time at my leisure." Robin shrugged. "That is not the case, in fact you may double the length of your essay beings you feel you have so much leisure time in this area of learning." The teacher fumed. "Oh so now, I am being punished because these kids didn't do the assignment, and doubly so because I feel it is an injustice? How very innovative your curriculum is. Very chic and ultra Communistic." Robin winked ignoring Edward's cool hand on her own.

She watched as Ms. Martin's face turned red behind her huge magnification coke bottle glasses. "I know go to the office." She stood up and grabbed her bag and purse. She shrugged making an innocent face as Edward and Alice's looks questioned her. "Enough of your theatrics, get out of my class this instant!" Ms. Martin bellowed. Robin turned on the heel of her Chucks and started to walk out of the room.

"Miss Gann? Oh normally you don't get kicked out of Literature." Mrs. Lockheart commented as Robin entered the office. "Well you see I don't think I should have to write a punishment essay, not when I was one of the people who did the reading." Robin said taking a hold of the copy the announcements. "It is just an essay, I have seen you write essays for your college applications until the cows come home." Mrs. Lockheart chided. "It is just an essay, but is the principal of the thing. We shouldn't hand out punishments to everyone for the mistakes of a few. That is what totalitarians do, and I am pretty sure that going to community college a billion years ago doesn't give her that right. Well I guess I shouldn't have called her a communist, but I doubted she knows the difference of regimes." Robin said sitting the copy down.

"Robin! You did not call Ms. Martin a Commie did you?" the elderly assistant asked. Robin nodded and extended her hands as if to say it was no big deal. "You know, your academic…" "Yeah yeah, won't protect me forever, rad amounts of sorry but not today." Robin finished up the dialog they had on a retinue basis. "Robin…" Mrs. Lockheart began. "Look, it is no big deal. Unless you guys start punishing me none of this follows to college and I have a year and some change, ok a lot of change to be here. So either start really dealing with my attitude problem or stop lecturing me on it. It's getting old real fast." Robin snapped.

She looked down feeling her hip starting to vibrate. Discreetly she pulled it out and checked her phone an incoming text message. Was that really necessary? From Edward of course. Robin just smiled and slipped the phone into her pocket and looked at Mrs. Lockheart as the bell rang. "Well I guess, I'll be seeing you a little later, or tomorrow at the latest." Robin winked. "

Mrs. Lockheart sighed and waved the girl on. Making sure she had her sacked lunch in hand Robin pranced to the cafeteria and sat down at a table. Soon Alice and Edward sat down at her table. "How was the rest of class?" Robin asked grinning. "Boring, all Ms. Martin did was sit down at her desk and started filling out papers." Alice shrugged. "Oh papers, sound dangerous." Robin chuckled starting to unpack her lunch. There was a sandwich, apple sauce, and carrot sticks, it was a little grade school but still cute. "Robin, I think your going to get detention or something." Edward said softly. Robin shrugged and shook her head. There was no way on Earth she was going to get detention. "I am serious, she was furious." Edward sighed.

"Whatever, even if I do what is the worse that can happen?" Robin asked. "What are we talking about?" Rosalie asked sitting down. "Nothing much, I might get a whole detention." Robin chortled. "Oh someone not take a shine to your personality?" Rosalie asked. "She called our teacher a Communist." Alice laughed. "She started it." Robin shrugged.

Edward scoffed and pretended to take a bite of his food. "What she did. She assigned an essay over our chapters from Dracula because pretty much no one did the reading. I thought it was unfair. I did the reading, why do I get a punishment? Then she was like well blah blah double your essay and I pretty much called her teaching method out and named her a Communist. Which to be fair is inaccurate but it sounded bitchin." Robin laughed biting into a carrot stick.

"Wow, that is special. Only you." Rosalie shook her head. "What can I say it's part of my charm." Robin shrugged it off. "Well not to change topics or anything but guess what, Robin has a closet full of couture dresses she is going to model for us." Alice said excitedly. "Really?" Rosalie asked tossing her hair over her shoulder. Robin sighed, awesome dresses again. She looked at Edward pleading for help.

Edward opened his mouth but Rosalie shook her head. "Oh no, your not getting out of it that easy." she laughed. "Awesome, but yeah. I guess fashion show at my house for a stupid homecoming dress." she sighed. "Homecoming isn't stupid." Alice said flatly. "You just like it because you two get to wear fancy dresses." Robin replied. "You act like that is a bad thing." Rosalie smiled.

"Well for those of us less beauty inclined it is lame." Robin shrugged looking at Edward who raised his brow. "You know your are gorgeous." he said softly. "On the inside." she said playfully. "But so who are you two going with?" Robin asked pointing her spoon at Alice and Rosalie. "Well, we are going stag." Alice grinned. "With your brothers." Robin made a face and stuck her tongue out gagging.

"Hey your going with our brother." Alice laughed. Robin blushed and looked down at her apple sauce. "Aw look how cute." Alice chuckled. Robin sighed and looked at Edward wondering if they really had to go. Edward grinned at her lopsidedly and nodded. "Some help you are." she grumbled throwing a carrot stick at Edward.

Once she was done Edward stood to throw her things and his half "eaten" food away. "I don't see what the big deal is. I mean what are we going to do? Dinner then a dance?" she asked making a face once he sat back down. It was so awkward being the only person eating. "We don't have to do dinner." Edward replied looking at her. "So then why do we have to do the dance?" she asked changing her voice to be soft and even.

"Oh no, come on it will be fun. We can get our nails done." Alice her voice trying to sound appealing. Robin couldn't help it and laughed out loud looking at her short trimmed nails. "Oh that is going to so oddles of fun." She didn't see the point of something so trivial. "I just am not really excited about this sort of thing." Robin shrugged. "Well you should be your seventeen." Rosalie pointed out. "But an atypical seventeen." Robin argued. "So it is time to get a little typical." Alice grinned. "Ouch double team." Edward chuckled.

Robin just bowed her head in resignation. "It really will be better if you just give in. You might even have fun." Edward teased. She felt her whole face flush when his icy pale hand moved to her intertwining his thin fingers with her own. It was the first couply thing they had done. Before they were official Edward had carried her things and walked her to class, but hand holding was a big public step.

It was a little strange, to sit there in public and pretend that they were a normal couple. Edward was a vampire, a fact that Robin knew and had come to terms with. Somehow it seemed they should be doing something more harlequin like stealing off into the night making love while Edward fed from her. She noticed she had absent mindedly been rubbing the back of his palm with her thumb and realized she preferred it this way. "Me too." Edward said softly kissing her cheek.

"Wow, now isn't that adorable?" A voice cut into the moment. Colten. For a second it had been just the two of them in an incredibly enduring moment. "Hey Colt." Robin nodded, she could feel Edward's body tense through the length of his arm. "Look, I am sorry I man handled you a bit this morning. That's all." he shrugged. "Well it's…." she paused, unsure of what to say. It wasn't ok, and it was a big deal, what could she really say? "nice for you to come out and admit you were wrong." she said finally. "I wasn't wrong." he snapped. The tension in the air was thick and Edward started to clench his hand so much it hurt her own.

Instantly Edward relented and let go of her hand. "I can understand your upset. But you have no excuse for touching her the way you did this morning. Frankly, I can see why she put off telling you it was over for so long if that is how your going to react." Edward said calmly but the danger was clearly in his voice. Robin looked to Colten biting her lip. She could feel his jealously boiling and seething off of him. Both of the boys staring one another in the eye like a bad movie standoff.

When the lunch bell rang a minute later Robin sighed and rubbed Edward's arm. "Edward are you going to walk me?" she asked softly. Colten blinked and looked over at her and Edward stood collecting her things. "I will see you guys later." Rosalie nodded leaving. "Later." Robin nodded as Alice repeated her actions. Edward and Colten were both silent as Edward started to move towards her so the trio could go while Colten watched his jaw clenched.

"He is sort of brave… you have to admit." Alice said taking her arm interlinking it with Robin's. Robin nodded, it would take brass ones to stare down Edward. "Edward was throwing his boyfriend A game that is for sure." she laughed looking over at Edward silently walking beside them. "Alice why don't you go on ahead." Robin said pausing unraveling her arm from the best friend embrace Alice had locked them in.

Alice looked at her then at Edward and nodded. "See you guys in a few." Alice left them standing and Robin moved to Edward and kissed his cheek. "You ok?" she asked. "Yes." Edward said curtly. "You don't seem ok." Robin shrugged and made a face. "Well, he just every time he thinks about you it is like you're a thing." Edward sighed. "Like his favorite toy." Robin bit her lip and made a face. "Well why do you think I didn't sleep with him." She picked up his hand from his pocket and kissed the cool back of it. "Just lets not think about it kay? I mean what is he going to do attack you? Hit me? I don't know about you Mister Cullen but I can handle myself in a fight." Robin chuckled.

Edward sighed and nodded. "Besides, I have my own patent pending knight in shining armor." Robin said softly. "You are so strange at times.' Edward smiled lopsided at her. "Isn't that why you are so attracted to me? I am going to warn you right now it isn't my singing ability." She laughed as they started to move now towards the Choir room. "I heard you sing in the car, trust me I know." Edward said dryly. "Oh someone got jokes now?" she laughed as they passed through the threshold barely in time to avoid being late.

The rest of the day passed with noting note worthy. The standard stares and whispers forcing the three closer together for the remainder of their classes. Robin laughed as they were joined by Rosalie at Edward's locker to head home. "At least when Jasper gets well again it will be easier to break up into two groups. Oh yeah buddy system style." "Tell me about it, at least you guys had each other all I had was myself." Rosalie almost sneered. "If it will make you feel better when we get to my house you and Alice can take out the Lotus…" Robin wiggled her eyebrows sliding into the front seat.

"Nice try, using a fast car to try to distract from the clothing emergency at hand." Alice giggled reaching up to ruffle her hand through Robin's hair. Edward chuckled and started the car to leave the parking lot. "Had to give it a shot right? Can't blame a girl for using her resources." Robin shrugged. "Exactly which is why we are letting you go through what you already have, those are your resources." Rosalie nodded. "Great…" Robin sighed. "Hey with how you were singing in choir today I am surprised Edward would want to take someone so tone deaf. Makes for a bad dance partner." Alice teased. Robin blushed and crossed her arms. It was a point of embarrassment, she loved music it was beautiful and she could barely read it and she couldn't carry a note to save her life. She could paint what music looked like, give it shape and form but she couldn't create it.

Edward shot her a glance and smiled at her. "Oh stop, that just makes it worse." she huffed. He was a gifted musician. Hell probably a gifted artist too boot. "Years of practice and I am no where at your caliber." Edward offered turning into her driveway. "Thanks for that." she grinned shaking her head. Sometimes a complete invasion of privacy could be sweet.

"Are you going to stay?" Robin asked gathering her things in her lap. Edward shook his head. "There are some things I want to check on." he said nodding. "Ok." Robin nodded wondering what was appropriate parting. Was it to presumptuous to say later? Would he take it as offensive if she said see you tomorrow? She cared to much for him to say love you as she would if he were merely a friend. She didn't want to tell him she loved him the first time in front of his sisters. Edward grinned at her making her heart race and her face flush. "I will see you later." he nodded leaning over kissing her face cooling it instantly.

Robin smiled and nodded ignoring Alice sighing in the backseat. "OK see you later." She opened the door and glanced back at Edward as Rosalie and Alice got out of the car. "Lo..oking forward to it." she said changing quickly after almost saying she loved him. She scrambled out of the car and went to the front door.

"Oh that was smooth, don't have to be a mind reader to figure that one out." Alice giggled. "Shut up." Robin said gruffly opening the door. She stepped inside and set her bag down. "Where are my girls?" Robin asked finding it strange she wasn't being bum rushed. "They aren't fond of me." Rosalie stiffened. Robin chuckled. "Ok wait here I turn em loose."

She went to the kitchen to find them hunkering under the table and laughed. "Cowards." she shook her head and opened the deck door watching them tear out from under the table like bats out of hell. Rosalie and Alice came into the kitchen smiling almost evilly at her. "Alright let's get this show on the road." Robin groaned.


	7. Chapter 7

After hours Rosalie and Alice agreed on a vintage that was a dark plum sleeveless v cut bodice with a skirt that had several short layers reaching to her mid calf. The best part was it was pre-boob job so it fit Robin perfectly. In truth it was the dress that had inspired Robin's love for the color purple and she had always dreamed about wearing it but she would never admit it to them.

Once they had left Robin let the dogs in and turned the radio on in the kitchen. Then she started to take things out of the fridge determined to cook something for herself. She started to sing and dance as she began to season a chicken breast with rose mary while her pan got hot. She then tossed the chicken in the frying pan with orange juice to sear it while she danced around singing.

"He said one and one and one make three… gotta be good looking' he just so hard to see ! Come together right now-ah!" she turned around from the stove as she sung into the fork she was using to cook. Edward was standing there his brow raised grinning at her. "Oh damn!" Robin yelled in surprise. "How long have you been standing there?" she asked turning the oven on to roast the chicken to fully cook it through since she had only pan seared it.

"Oh since about that cute little shimmy on shoots coca cola." he chuckled sitting down at the kitchen table. "Go ahead, continue. I'll just watch." he mused. Robin sighed and moved the cast iron pan into the oven to cook. "I'll pass thank you. I mean how embarrassing for you right? I live here I am allowed to act like a moron when I would like." she sat down at the table and sighed. "I mean just barging in like that..." she said sucking in air audibly. "Is it barging when you have a key?" Edward asked making a face. Robin laughed and shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well, if I was barging I am happy I caught you letting your hair down like that. I had no idea you liked classic rock." Edward smiled like he had found a hidden treasure. "Well I have." he laughed. Robin shook her head and made a face. "Old habits you know? My parents, would always listen to classic rock, while they cooked. It was the rule: the rock had to be older then me. You know even on mornings when we would have breakfast, I would wake up to Journey and know it was waffles. Or come home to the Stones and weird Martha Stewart stuff. Like when my parents entertained and she would be online looking at recipes for stuff like jalapeno stuffed apricots wrapped in pershuto." she laughed.

"My Dad did all the cooking. Like the real stuff like tacos and pork chops with mushroom soup gravy. 'Someone has got to do the cooking around here.'" she said doing an impression of her dad. Suddenly Robin sighed and looked the other way. It was hard remembering when she was shiny and happy with her lot in life. "It could be like that for you again. You have so may possibilities." Edward's voice sounded strained and Robin looked at him.

He looked like he was in pain. Robin leaned across the table and cupped her hand around his hard smooth jaw. "Hmmm, right now I only see one possibility." Quicker then her eyes could follow Edward's chair was moved and he was no where to be seen. The dogs started howling in protest hackles raised. "Wow, apparently that was the wrong thing to say." she sighed and stood up.

Chewing on her lip she looked at the skewed chair. It wasn't fair he couldn't end it just like that. "Right fuck this." She snapped the oven off and went to the front door grabbing her shoes shoving them on roughly. She wasn't the type to just lay there and take stuff.

She grabbed the keys to the Astin Martin and paused. She made a face and went to her parents room, after Alice and Rosalie had been so nice to her she didn't want to show up their empty handed. Not to mention they were her best avenue at this point. She went to her mother's jewelry box and started looking for what she wanted.

A ring of her MeMa's. It was white gold and had four bands of diamonds that cris crossed in an orbital setting and at the intersections set natural emeralds. The stones weren't big but they were beautiful. Her MeMa said that she had prophetic dreams and that emeralds were said to given visions clarity. It was much to small for her but it would be perfect for the pixie Alice.

Then she went back the key rack and changed the keys of her preferred car for that of the Lotus. She climbed into the car and adjusted the seat and turned the car on. She made the short drive and pulled all the way up to the house. Rosalie was immediately out of the house standing there. "It's so beautiful." she said in awe. "I hate the color, and I don't ever drive it…. So you know…" Robin stammered turning the engine off.

"No I don't know." Rosalie said looking horror filled at her statement of non adoration. Robin tossed the keys which Rosalie caught. "I can't part with it. Not yet, but I was hoping that until I can get up the courage to sell it to you… you would treat her well?" Robin asked. Instantly Rosalie was grinning at her. "Are you for real?" she asked. Robin nodded. "Yeah, I owe you guys a lot, you have been really kind to me. Me to you not so much."

"Trust me this makes up for whatever you think you have done. Can I tune her up?" Rosalie asked. "If you know how to, I don't know the first thing about that car to tell you what to do." Robin snorted. "Oh… I love you." Rosalie purred. Robin made a face, it was such an odd thing to say, but then Robin chuckled realizing she was talking to the Lotus. "Can I go in?" Robin asked.

Rosalie said nothing merely opened the garage with the key pad on the door. "I guess I'll see myself in." Robin said lowly and moved into the garage. Her mouth fell open at the cars that the garage contained. "Are you fucking me?" Each of the cars were as nice as her own, there was even a new Aston Martin though Robin preferred her own classic.

She opened the door into the house and was met by Alice. "Hey there Alice." Robin said making a face. "You are giving Rose the Lotus?" she asked almost jealous. "Yeah, do you all have a thing for fast expensive cars or what?" Robin laughed. "It is a past time." Alice shrugged. "Well then you are going to hate my gift to you because it isn't the loan of an amazing car." Robin said biting her lip. The paltry ring was almost embarrassing in her pocket now.

"Oh no, no backing out now, you said you come baring a gift for me." Alice laughed. Robin reached into her pocket and closed her fingers around the ring. "It is to small for me, and well something I heard a long time ago made me think of you." She extended her hand and opened it the ring resting on her palm. "It is gorgeous! The emerald's are real not lab grown." Alice gushed and took the ring sliding it on her middle finger.

"Did you know that pagan cultures believe that emerald give clarity to divination?" Alice asked inspecting the ring. "Well my MeMa believed that, she said she had prophetic dreams. That the ring had helped them become more clear." Robin shrugged. "I don't know about what my MeMa had seen but I know you have visions so… I know it is kind of lame but…" Robin stammered and Alice laughed. "Not lame in the slightest, it is a gift from your heart." Alice hugged her.

"Well, sort of. I wanted to give you guys something. I don't really know about Emmett or Jasper. Or really Carlisle and Esme, so they have to wait and Edward is furious with me." Robin sighed. "Oh what happened?" Alice asked leading her to the living room. Emmett and Jasper sat at a huge table eight chess boards adjoined playing a complex game.

"What happened?" Alice repeated drawing Robin's attention back to her. "Oh… um we were sitting in my kitchen talking. And he said something about my possibilities for the future. He looked really upset you know? Well I just told him that right now I only saw one possibility. He was like out of there. I am guessing that he isn't here." Robin asked. Alice looked impossibly ashen and shook her head.

"I just meant being with him, I mean today, tomorrow. I don't know where I am going, and it would be nice although naïve to think that I could keep him, and you guys with me as long as I can." Alice got that far off look on her face and Robin bit her lip. What was she seeing? She snapped out of it and her delicate face darkened.

"Alice?" Robin asked as the smaller girl stood and left the room with a blink of her eye. Robin bit her lower lip starting to panic. "Hey, want to play?" Emmett asked from across the room. "What?" Robin asked her vice sounding high and pitchy with panic to her own ears. Instantly she felt herself calm down and cast her glance to Jasper. "Please stop." she said calmly going the table.

"I don't like feeling what it not my feelings." she said pulling a chair from the table sitting. Jasper nodded and Robin began to feel more life herself. "Thank you, and while I am at it. Sorry about last night. It was bad form and in poor taste. I knew that it would effect you most and I did it anyway to satisfy my own selfish and childishness. I know that forgiveness is to much to ask for but I wanted you to know that I am sorry." Robin said the words hard for her to say, she was prideful.

"I know how much it cost you to say that. And I do owe you an apology for manipulating you like I did." Jasper said a disgusted look on his face. "He is just upset he deliberately went against something Alice asked of him." Emmett laughed. "Well if I was Jasper that is totally how I would have rocked it. So no harm no foul. Right?" Robin shrugged. Jasper's face lightened and after a few seconds he laughed.

"What?" Robin asked. "You are just so caviler about what I did but you are all down on yourself for your actions." he explained and Emmett joined him in laughing. "Well it is how I would have played it. I can understand what he did so no big deal." she shrugged. "My own actions were rash and hard to reason away." she nodded. "Well then I guess no harm no foul." Jasper nodded.

"Ok so you offered me to play, but I don't know the rules set out for eight boards." Robin sighed. Emmett pulled on board free and started to set it up. "This is totally for my benefit so I don't freak over what Alice saw right?" Robin asked. Jasper grinned widely at her showing his white teeth to much. "Right." "Well let the distraction commence." she laughed.

"So I get Emmett to help me right?" Robin asked looking at Jasper across the board. "I mean if you two play such a complex game I am going to need the help." "If you want it, but I think you can hold your own well, but if you can't…" Jasper trailed off. "Oh that is it your going down." Robin snorted. Of course they would know she was to cocky to let a challenge like that stand.

"Excellent." Emmett laughed. "Hey, why don't you make yourself useful and get me something to drink." Robin laughed. Emmett disappeared and then reappeared with a can of coke. "Wow, did you get that from my house or does Esme just already know my pop preference?" "The world may never know." Emmett laughed. "Awesome." Robin said and started to play.

Two hours later and the game was still raging in a little war. "Wow, you are good." Emmett laughed. Robin nodded sipping her coke waiting for Jasper to make a move. "I am sure he is holding back." Robin growled. "No he really isn't." Rosalie said entering the room wiping her hands on a towel. "He doesn't have it in him." Jasper moved and smiled. "Check!" Emmett held his breath but Robin saw it instantly. She only had four possible moves, two resulted in her losing, one would prolong the game, the last would be mate against him. Robin grinned and moved her queen and wiggled her brows. "And that kid is known as MATE!" She laughed.

"I can't believe you saw that…" Jasper said looking shocked. "Why? It wasn't the obvious thing to do but…" she shrugged smiling. She looked at her phone and made a face. She knew time had passed but two solid hours. "Wow you guys are good." she commented about her complete lack of noticing Alice's absence. "No you were good." Jasper laughed. "Well you haven't seen anything until I rock it on Guitar Hero or Halo." she laughed.

"There is no way." Emmett grinned. True they were faster at the controls then she could ever dream of being but she had a brilliant mind. "Set it up big boy." Robin laughed. "I just am going to step outside for a second." she nodding standing up. She moved to the front door and stepped outside.

She pulled out her phone and dialed Edward. Straight to voice mail. "Hey, I don't know what made you so upset, but call me back, or come home I am sort of chilling here with your family. I just kicked Jasper's ass at chess…. Love you Edward." She hung up the phone and sighed. She went back into the house and Esme and Alice were standing in the living room talking to the others.

As soon as they saw her the talking stopped and Robin sighed. "What's going on guys?" she asked swallowing down her tears that had sprung up. No one moved to open their mouths. It was that bad.

"He isn't coming back is he?" she asked blinking several times. Esme's face fell and she shook her head. "Ok." Robin nodded and turned on her heel marching out the front door. She heard someone calling after her but it didn't matter. Nothing really mattered. Edward was deserting her.

Robin stomped to her house and opened the garage door and then entered the house. "FUCK!" she screamed sending the dogs running from her. She kicked wall and turned sliding down it weeping uncontrollable black tears until she had cried all of her mascara away.

Robin's head lulled to the side and she blinked. "Robin?" Alice asked. "Go away." Robin said flatly. "No, not this time." Rosalie said briskly pushing the door open from the garage. "Have you moved at all?" Alice asked concern painting her face. "Go away." Robin replied her voice cracking from thirst. She let her head lull back to looking forward.

"It has been a week, he left last Thursday and it is Friday…" Alice said worriedly. "I wasn't aware." Robin shrugged her narrow shoulders. "You look like hell." Rosalie sighed bending picking up one of her emaciated arms. Robin's head was swimming, but after sitting against the wall for a day she had started to get a little light headed. From there she slipped in and out of consciousness. "Go get Carlisle. She is in a bad way." Rosalie ordered. Robin sighed her eyes fluttering. "I am fine…" Robin tried to protest.

Robin heard something to the side of her but she could no longer manage to lull her head to the side. "What is that smell?" Emmett asked from somewhere. "The dogs. They haven't been let out in a week I think." Alice said moving further into the house. "Oh my god…" she said. Robin tried to open her mouth to explain but once again she was failing.

She couldn't move or speak, everything was slow motion around her. She felt like a prisoner in her own body. Carlisle filled her vision his face set. "Can you tell me your name?" he asked shining a light into her eyes. Robin just blinked and tried to answer. "Emmett, get her in the car." Carlisle ordered. She felt how limp her body was as Emmett lifted her. It was so strange seeing the world like that. All disconnected and blurry.

A light shone into Robin's eyes and she jumped. "It is alright. You are Saint Luke's." Carlisle voice said as he moved back. "Robin Elaine Gann." she swallowed dryly. "What?" Carlisle asked offering her a large plastic Saint Luke's cup filled with ice water. "You just asked me my name."

Carlisle sighed. "That was three days ago." he said as he started to check her vitals. "I don't understand." Robin said shaking her head. "Alice and Rosalie came to check on you. You hadn't been to school in a week and they were going to take you to the dance to try and lift your spirits. You were propped up against the wall. You hadn't eaten or drank anything. You were barely hanging on. You slipped into a coma on the ride over." Carlisle explained.

"I was in a coma?" Robin asked rubbing the arm with the iv in it. "Yes, we have been giving you nutrients through the iv. You came very close." Carlisle said sternly. "Yeah well.." Robin started wanting to say something smart assed to him and shook her head. "You're right and I can't defend what I did. I am sorry." She nodded. "Luckily you have a living will dictating you are to remain on life support as long as your chances or good or my hands would have been tied as you have no executor."

"Carlisle?" Robin asked. "Yes?" Carlisle asked his face looking almost sad. He must have been thinking she was going to ask about Edward. "You think I could get some food while you lecture me?" she asked. "Of course." he nodded and opened the door. "She is awake." he said into the hall wall. Esme entered the room carrying several Tupperware bowls. Robin looked away feeling instantly guilty. "How are you feeling?" Esme asked as she started to open the containers sitting them on the moveable tray. "Like a selfish bitch who almost broke your heart." Robin said sighing.

Esme sighed and patted Robin's hand. "Let's not talk about that. I brought you some green bean casserole, a steak medium rare, a baked potato, and a slice of carrot cake." Esme smiled warmly at her. "Thanks, wow.." Robin said looking at the food, there was so much of it. But she realized she would eat it all and probably want seconds.

"Thank you Esme." Robin nodded. "Nonsense, you need the fuel." she smiled. Robin grinned and looked at Carlisle who was scratching notes in her chart. "Is it ok if Esme stays?" Robin asked. "Well seeing as you have the say so it is up to you." He nodded. "Well then she stays." Robin said adjusting her bed so she met the tray.

"Well, your vitals are strong. You are a fighter I must say." Carlisle sighed. "Is that your medical prognosis?" Robin asked through a mouthful of steak that was still warm. She glanced at Esme her brow raised. "Alice." and Robin nodded. "Well I am going to keep you here for a couple of days, see how you do but if you keep on in this manner I suspect you will be fine." Carlisle said. "I always am." Robin said through more food despite how disgusting she knew it was.

"You almost weren't." Carlisle reproached. Robin swallowed and nodded. "Do you need anything?" Carlisle asked. Robin shook her head. "Then I will go finish my rounds and be back to check up on you. If you need anything call a nurse." he motioned to the button on the side of her bed. "Esme?" Robin asked looking over at the kind woman. "Of course dear." she said nodding.

Robin ate in silence her body ravenously consuming the food Esme had brought. Once she was done she started to put the lids back on with Esme's assistance. "Thank you Esme." Robin said softly. "Oh it was nothing." Esme smiled gently. "No, it means the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." Robin nodded. Esme patted her hand and tucked Robin's hair behind her ear.

"So, what has everyone been up to the past couple days?" Robin asked after a few moments when she was sure she could speak again. "Well we have just been taking shifts in case anything changes from what Alice predicted. Of course if we hadn't it would have looked suspicious." Esme nodded. Robin looked over to check thy were alone.

They were in a single room. "Do you want to change into something else? Carlisle will allow it." Esme nodded. "I don't want you guys to have to go to the trouble." Robin shook her head, she already had been a burden to them. "No, I packed a bag for you, in fact." Esme reached over her and pulled from her side Doodle. "Oh Esme." Robin said hugging the bear close to her chest.

"Also, I cleaned your house…" Esme said uneasily. "Oh…" Robin blushed vaguely remembering the state of the house. "I …" She bit her lip unsure of what to say. "It is ok, it gave me something to do besides worry. Besides, I enjoyed parts of it. Like seeing the art upstairs. I understand they are yours?" she asked. Robin nodded still blushing. "They are quite good." Esme offered. "Thanks, you know if you really like them I could do something for you, as a thank you." Robin stammered.

"I would like that." Esme smiled. "So totally embarrassing, but could you help change me?" Robin asked fidgeting. "Of course." Esme helped Robin carefully out of bed and steadied her. Slowly but surely Esme guided Robin into some boxer shorts but could do nothing about her top because of her iv.

Once Esme had helped her back into bed Robin snuggled under the blankets. She cuddled her bear to her as if shielding herself from the world. "Have you heard from him?" Robin asked quietly. Esme looked at her eyes soft and Robin knew she was trying to break it to her that they hadn't. "It's ok. He isn't coming back…" Robin said her voice hoarse.

"Well, not exactly…" Esme sighed reaching out to Robin's water then bringing it to her lips. Robin shook her head and smiled weakly. "I am feeling pretty tired." Robin rolled to her side careful of her iv tucking it close to her body along with the bear. Robin heard the door click softly behind her and closed her eyes.

Edward had told her he had loved her from the moment he saw her. She hasn't been sure how she felt until he left, when he had shattered her heart she had tried to protect so fiercely. She sighed and kicked off the blankets, without him there it was simply to hot under the covers. She brought her bare to her nose filling it with Edward's clean smell.

Smelling him so close brought her body to racking sobs. Her body shaking so hard it felt like it was going to break until finally her body couldn't take it any more and she passed out.

"Ok are you ready?" Carlisle asked looking at Robin square in the eye. "Yeah." She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. The next thing she knew the smell of liquid stitch right before she felt Carlisle paint it on. "Hold the phone you pulled it out?" Robin asked her eyes snapping open looking for the tube that had been attached to her since she woke up in the hospital.

Carlisle merely smiled at her kindly. "Oh points for the smooth removal and brownie points for the bed side manner Doc." Robin laughed. "I see getting out has improved your mood considerably." Carlisle smiled as he started to help Robin remove the varied monitoring devices.

In truth what had put her in a better mood was online shopping with Alice. Hearing Rosalie gush over the modifications she had done to the Lotus. Esme's home cooked meals four times a day. Watching football games with Emmett making outrageous wagers. Playing chess with Jasper over the phone for hours at a time. "You could say that." Robin smiled. Carlisle patted her hand and moved away to sign some papers. "So I am free to go?" she asked her brow raised. "Well I suggest a check up in a week or so, but other then that you are fine." he nodded.

He hadn't pressured her to see a therapist, or tried to prescribe anything to regulate her moods. "So, about how I am getting home?" Robin asked. "There is a cab waiting downstairs. I will give you a moment to get dressed then I can wheel you down if you like." Carlisle offered. "No it's ok I don't want to keep you from your patients." Robin said hoping she didn't sound to disappointed.

"I am done for the day actually." he said softly. "And I am taking a cab home?" Robin asked her face filled with shock. "I was merely joking." he shook his head. "Ok well then get out so I can get out of this crazy backless gown." Robin laughed hoping off the bed feeling stronger then she had since waking up. Robin felt a little silly being wheeled to the doors but it was standard procedure. "Wow, it has gotten really chilly outside." Robin commented. She stood and waited as Carlisle pulled the car around.

"SURPRISE!" Robin was assaulted as soon as she walked through the door. Her dogs ran over to her strangely calm despite the vampires standing in the house. "They got used to us." Alice laughed. "I guess, you do it isn't my birthday right?" Robin asked pointing at the Birthday banner that hung from the ceiling. "Of course but you have been seventeen a full month now. And you didn't get a birthday so…" Alice motioned with her hand to the room.

Robin stopped to take everything in. On the table there was a mound of wrapped gifts and a cupcake with seventeen impossibly small candles. "You guys didn't have to do this." Robin blushed. "We wanted to." Rosalie smiled. "Well thanks." Robin sighed and bent down kissing the dog's head. "Ok come on fatsos." Emmett smiled shooing the dogs from her. "I be taking the keys to that little classic car in the garage if you don't mind." he extended his hand. "As if I won that back in the Longhorns versus the Jayhawks fool." she laughed.

"Ok let's do presents!" Rosalie beamed holding up a package. "Do one of mine first." she cooed handling the box over. Robin blushed and went to the table and started to gingerly open the golden paper. "Just rip it open." Jasper cheered. Robin rolled her eyes and ripped the paper from the package. There was a little model of the Aston Martin in the garage. "I don't get it…" Robin made a face. "I tuned your car up, and made some improvements." Rosalie sighed wistfully. "They don't make them like that anymore." "Ok." Robin shook her head. She pulled another package to herself from Jasper. Inside a beautiful antique chess board. "Aww Jazz I can't wait to kick your ass on this thing."

She had opened pretty much all of the presents surrounded by gifts and paper. A trip from Carlisle and Esme anywhere in the world for herself and one other person. A new laptop loaded with photoshop CS4 from Alice. A new television for her room from Emmett. More clothes then she new what to do with from everyone but she knew Rosalie and Alice had picked them out. Art supplies and canvas out the wazoo.

"There is one more." Robin said pulling a large box from the wreckage and she started to tear the paper off of it. Inside was a Burberry purple plaid rain coat and the matching scarf. "Which…" she started to look through the paper for the gift label. There was none. Carefully she brought the scarf to her nose and then pushed it away against the coat. "Send it back." she said swallowing the lump in her throat that tasted like clean linen.

"Robin…" Esme started. "No! Send it back." The laughter and happy sounds had faded from the room. "If he wants to give me a present he can come home to do it." she said shaking her head. "Now, who wants to have cake?" she smiled raising her hand. She was bound and determined to not let Edward ruin the moment.

Carlisle lit the candles on the cup cake and ever started to sing to her. Once they were finished she closed her eyes took a deep breath. I want Edward to come back. She wished silently in her head before blowing out the candles. Everyone clapped and she started to remove the candles before eating her cup cake. "Thanks you guys." Robin smiled after she was done eating the mini cake.

She started to rise to clean but Esme smiled. "Don't tax yourself you were just in the hospital. Enjoy your party." Jasper and Emmett went to hang the television on the wall and set it up in her room while Alice and Rosalie gathered the clothes to help arrange them in the closet.

Robin slipped out the back deck after grabbing a stash of her cigarettes and lit one up sitting on a chair that was kept dry by an overhang. She took in a deep breath and let the smoke fill her lung until her head started to buzz before letting it go.

"You shouldn't smoke, it isn't healthy." Carlisle said softly sitting beside her. "Yeah, well Da..oc I plan to live forever, cancer sticks or no." She blushed at almost calling him Dad. "Robin…" he said sadly. "You don't mean that." "I don't know this doesn't seem to bad." she chuckled and threw the cigarette on the ground stamping it out. "You can't even comprehend what it is like." Carlisle said gently yet stern at the same time.

"I know, but it has to be better then this. Then maybe Edward wouldn't be so afraid." she sighed. "Your wrong, this conversation is why he is so afraid." Carlisle said softly. "Well, then that makes this a grand ole cluster fuck huh? I mean I feel like I belong, like you all care about me." Carlisle sighed. "Carlisle?" Robin asked looking at him. "Yes?" "If I had of been unable to pull through, would you have done it?" Robin asked gazing at his topaz eyes. He didn't say anything but looked away. "Who was against it?" she asked slipping a strand behind her ear.

"Rosalie, she regrets not living, not having a baby. Her choice would not have been this." Carlisle said softly. "Well, you are an amazing doctor. If something that I couldn't pull out of, something you couldn't save me from. That is what I want. I can draft that into my living will if you want." Robin said lightly. "Noted." Carlisle nodded. " Then, who knows I could be the cooler older Cullen sister." she joked.

"Is he coming back?" she asked softly looking not at Carlisle but at the woods now. "I can only say that he is very unsure about it, what happens changes every time Alice looks ahead." "Do you think he loves me?" Robin asked turning slightly to watch Carlisle from the corner of her vision. "You doubt that he does?" Carlisle asked. "No, but that makes it all the more painful." Robin sighed. "I know…"

"Well I am going to leave you with one parting thought Robin. That is that we all care for you a great deal, each in our own way. It is ok that you care for us. Your heart isn't broken. I think you are to strong for that. You continue to preserver, you refused to die subconsciously even when you thought you had given up. Remember that." Carlisle said rising to go back inside.


	8. Chapter 8

"_**Not for a couple of days Mrs. Lockheart… I still feel rather weak. I was in a coma you know." Robin sighed. "Well alright just get some rest, even that poor aide from Envio Bio misses you." Mrs. Lockheart joked. "Ok, well I am going to go back to bed if you don't mind." Robin said trying to sound weak. "You do that. Bye now." Mrs. Lockheart said hanging up the phone.**_

"_**Finally." Robin growled and snapped the volume on the radio on and turned the heat on in her car to blow over her. She bit her lip and pulled out the old map she had found in the glove compartment looking over the faded lines. "The turn off is…" she located it on the map and then pulled back on to the road.**_

_**She turned a little way down the road and grinned seeing the sign for the reservation. It had been years since she had been to the old reservation with her mother. They had went to order special hand blown glass ornaments for their Christmas tree for a local crafts men who lived on the reservation. **_

_**She parked her car and gathered her purse and got out locking her doors. She walked a couple of steps and stopped. Behind her six men exited from a store their heads snapped toward her. Her body tensed as they started walking towards her. "Can I help you?" A man asked his fist in balls at his side. "I was looking for the **__**Quileute rez, I am pretty sure this is it." Robin said smoothly. "Yeah, but can I help you maybe back to your car?" the man asked.**_

"_**I don't think so. You see I need to inquire about a local glass blower that lives here." Robin snapped her body ready to spring into action. Fight or flight considering she was surrounded by six twenty something men who were half a foot taller then her at least she was poised for the latter. "What about him?" Another man asked the only one without close cropped hair. He had a long glossy pony tail and seemed painfully familiar to her. "When I was a little girl, my mother had ornaments made for our tree. I need to get seven new ones made if at all possible. They are gifts for my new neighbors." Robin defended. **_

"_**New neighbors you say? Well that is very kind of you." a voice said behind the wall of men. "Go back inside Dad." the man with the pony tail said. "Jacob Black, stop being so rude to the beautiful young lady." A old man said wheeling around the men in a rickety wheel chair. "I seem to remember that, Gann right?" the man asked. The guy Jacob's face changed for a second then hardened. **_

"_**That is right. Is he still around?" Robin asked. "Yes, well I haven't seen you in a while… Robin if I am not mistaken." Robin nodded slowly. "Yes, Robin Gann." She motioned to herself. "Do I know you?" she asked cocking her head. "Well I am Billy Black." Robin smiled and went to him giving the old man a hug. He had been really sweet to her when she had run off from her mother. Given her taffy from his pocket so she wouldn't cry until she found her mother again.**_

"_**I am sorry. I just I remember being lost and you gave me taffy, and there was a little boy." she made a face realizing how silly she sounded. "No it's ok." he chuckled. "Not everyday an old fart like me gets a hug from such a beautiful young lady like you." Robin blushed and looked at the men all of their mouths hanging open. **_

"_**Well don't just stand there catching flies Jake you remember little Robin." Billy chuckled. "Oh Jacob he was your son about a year older then me I think?" she laughed standing on her toes to see around the men. "Where is he?" The man with a pony tail stepped forward extending a hand that radiated heat. "Sorry about before." he nodded and the men disappeared. "Ok wow, you can't be Jacob… he was like eight and that would make him like eighteen not twenty two." Robin said making a face. "I look old for my age." he shrugged. **_

"_**Well why don't you walk her on over to Clancy's maybe he is willing to do some new pieces for an old customer." Billy winked. "I am going to finish my lunch." Billy said nodding. "Swing by before you go." he asked. "If it's ok with uh Jacob here." she smiled. **_

_**Robin stood there looking at Jacob. He was tall, six five easily and had glossy black hair and flawless russet skin. "So…" He started to walk a little nervously while Robin followed. "So, you look different." she said nervously. What had that been all about? "Thanks, you look real different too." he said stiffly. "Naw, look like this my whole life, I just grew curves." she joked. "So, ornaments for your neighbors?" he asked looking at her nervously. "Yeah, Esme is going to love it. I want one for each of them. You know when I look at it I'll know that is Carlisle Cullen all over." "Cullen?" Jacob asked stopping. **_

"_**Mmmhmm, they just moved in down the road from me not to long ago. I kind of adopted them." she laughed nervously. Jacob looked at her his mouth hanging open. "Well I lost my parents a while ago, so it is kind of nice…" she stammered. Why did she have to explain this to a boy she had played with ten years ago? "Hmmm." he said starting to walk once more. **_

"_**Clancy?" Jacob asked knocking on a battered screen door. A old grizzled man came to the door and pushed it open. "What can I do you for Jake?" he asked. "This is Robin Gann, it seems she is interested in getting some Christmas ornaments made. I be back to get her in about thirty minutes, so listen to her idea and see if your up to it." He turned and walked away nodding to her. "Thirty minutes." he said tersely.**_

_**Ok that was weird, was she just not allowed to walk around this place or what. She turned as Clancy grimaced but Jake was nearly gone. "I don't do much glass blowing anymore." The man said tersely. "Well you see my Mother had a set made for us about ten years ago. She had three ones that were special." Robin opened her purse and pulled out a softball sized wade of tissue paper. **_

_**She began to unwrap it careful to keep the tissue paper for future wrapping. "One for my Dad, one for herself, and one for me." She presented the glass orb to him. It was the size of a baseball and started at a deep almost black purple and radiated out into a softer lilac at the edges. On the bottom was the makers mark and the side had her name inscribed into it. He took it in his hand and started to inspect it. "I remember these." he nodded. "Some of my finer work. Why don't you come inside and we can talk over what you want."**_

_**Robin followed him inside and sat down at the table where he indicated and she removed a sheet of paper. "I was hoping of getting seven made all about the same baseball size. Inscribed with the names a topaz one, one that starts black and then radiates yellow like a sun flower… well here you can look at the paper." she slid the paper each with seven diagrams on it draw out detailing what she wanted.**_

_**The old man whistled and looked at the purple ornament. "I don't really think I have this sort of work in me any more." Robin's face feel and she reached across to take the ornament she had brought with her. "I tell you what, I can give it a try and I can let you know what I come up with." he smiled at her. "Ok, I appreciate that. Here… this is my number." she took out a pen and scrawled her number on the top corner of the paper.**_

"_**Do you need this to like compare to?" Robin asked biting her lower lip. "No, you keep it." he shook his head and pushed the glass orb towards her. Robin started to wrap the glass in the tissue paper her head hung. Had she expected too much from this? She tucked it into her bag and looked up. "Well thank you for your time. I hope to hear from you either way." she nodded. "Now just you wait a minute, I'll be right back…" he slapped the table looking red in the face and rising.**_

_**He hobbled into the other room. Robin bit her lower lip chewing on it waiting. "Why did you shake… she is a nice…" Robin perked up leaning further across the table to hear the conversation better. "So your just gonna ask me not to do this and not give a reason Jake? Well what does Billy say? He knows I could use the money… Right well if it is from Billy… ok well bye Jake." **_

_**Jacob had asked him not to do her order. That was strange why would he do that? Did it have something to do with her welcoming committee? Clancy shuffled back into the room and sighed. "Well on second thought, I don't think I will be able to do your order. I am just to old for it." he sighed. "It's ok, I understand. Sometimes you can't do anything with what your given." she removed her bill fold and removed a couple crisp twenties and laid them on the table. "Thank you anyways." Robin said standing and turning. "Well you have a good rest of the day." Clancy told her. Robin nodded before pushing the screen door open.**_

_**She waited until she was out of Clancy's yard before she started stomping to her car. "Hey, where is the fire?" Jacob called jogging to her side. "Well I just remembered I have something to do. Tell your Dad I am sorry." She unlocked her door placing her bag carefully in before slamming her body into the seat. She stuck the key in the ignition and turned it.**_

_**She heard the starter clicking but the car didn't roar to life. "Looks like something is wrong with your car." Jacob said leaning against the frame of the door. "That is impossible!" Robin snapped. "Why it is an old car, great car but still old." he grinned. Robin slammed the door closed trying again. Rosalie had just given it a tune up and the car had run perfectly, there was no way there was something wrong with it. **_

"_**Maybe I can help. I am pretty handy with cars." Jacob said tapping on the glass. Robin rolled the window down and made a face. "Look there is nothing wrong with my fucking car ok? I just had it tuned up." She snapped. "Well, look maybe the mechanic just did a bad job pop your hood I'll check it out for you." Robin rolled her eyes she couldn't picture Rosalie doing a bad job at anything if she tried. **_

"_**C'mon, at least let me have a chance to see what a Aston Martin looks like…" Jacob said leaning into the window. "Fine." She popped the hood and watched as the tall boy rounded to the front of the car. My car is broken down is there something I should know? She sent to Rosalie, almost instantly she got the reply. Impossible, that car is in pristine condition. That is what she thought. She opened the door and peered out. "Well?"**_

"_**It looks like this starter is bad…. " Jacob said popping his head from the side of the hood. "Fuck it is gonna cost an arm and a leg to get this towed home." Robin exclaimed hitting the wheel. "Hey calm down, I can tow it for you, free of charge even." Jacob offered. "Tch you gonna pull it there?" Robin shot. "Ouch, no I can tow it there for you no problem." Jacob said holding up his hands. Robin made a face then shook her head. "No I better get a tow truck out here. Hate to bother you and blah blah." **_

"_**OK I get it you're a tough cookie, look I insist. Make up for the welcoming?" He fished. "How about I just call it good on the offer of a tow and you can let me wait with your Dad until the truck gets here?" Robin counter offered. "It might take hours to get a truck out here, and I have one here." Jacob smiled at her widely. "You aren't going to let this go are you?" Robin sighed. "I did say I insisted." Jacob nodded. **_

"_**Great, fine whatever. I mean thank you." Robin nodded. "Perfect, look why don't you grab a bite to eat in the café there while I get things started here." Jacob said the words a question but yet sounded like an order.**_

_**Now she knew how people felt when talking to her. "Great." She tossed him the keys with a flip of her wrist. Jacob caught them and grinned. "Try the soup it's great." He called jogging away. Robin moved into the store Billy had exited from behind the behemoth committee. "Robin?" Billy's voice asked from a table. "Why don't you come sit here with me a spell?" he asked. "Ok, my car is broken down so Jacob is going to tow it for me." She said sliding into a chair. **_

"_**You want anything to eat, you look awful pale." Billy said sliding a paper menu to her. "No than…" Esme's face popped into her mind. "On second thought, I should. I just got out of the hospital." she nodded looking down at the menu. "Oh?" Billy asked. "Yeah, nothing really serious, I just was focusing really hard on school work and neglected to eat and I collapsed from exhaustion." Robin shrugged, it seemed like a good cover story.**_

"_**Huh." the old man huffed. "Coke, and a cheeseburger, medium rare no lettuce, with extra everything else." Robin ordered. "Ok, waffle fries or home style?" the waitress asked. "Waffle please." Robin ordered. "Is this together or separate?" "Together, and here I can pay now." She retrieved her bill fold and pulled out a fifty and handed it to the waitress. "No change thanks." Robin nodded as the waitress eyed her but left. **_

_**Billy looked at her his brow raised. "Well Jacob offered me a free tow, so it's the least I can do as a thank you." she shrugged. "Well you better stop her that was a fifty." Billy chuckled. "I know, just I was raised to tip well. Besides, waiting tables doesn't get a person a lot of money. So I figure it helps those who money situation is less fortunate then mine. I have plenty of money, it just in other areas I am less fortunate." she shrugged again.**_

"_**Really? How do you figure?" Billy asked. Robin thanked the waitress who brought her drink. "Well, my parents were mugged, and the mugger's gun went off. He was a kid like my age, and he just kept shooting after that. My parents died in the hospital miles away. It has been pretty hard on me. So I figure those of us who fortune isn't the best should stick together." Robin said nervously. **_

"_**Well, your parents did a good job raising you if that is how you feel." Billy nodded. "Thanks, there are a lot of people who would disagree with that. I kinda have what people like to call an attitude problem." she grinned. "You seem like a good kid." he said taking a bite of his sandwich. "Naw, just you know I am respectful to those who I think deserve respect, which isn't a lot of people. But you were really kind to me as a kid." she sighed. **_

_**The waitress came bye with her burger and smiled. "Can I get you anything else?" Robin shook her head and pointed at Billy who also shook his head. "Ok well let me know if you change your mind." the girl smiled and left. "So you need to replace some of your ornaments?" Billy asked as Robin started to pick through her fries. "No, they are for my neighbors… they just moved in a while ago." She nodded popping a hot greasy fry into her mouth.**_

"_**Mmm. They just have been really nice to me, and me not so much to them. A olive branch of sorts." She said watching him carefully over the top of her glasses. "You don't like them?" he asked. "I guess they are alright. I just can't put my finger on it." She said while working her way through the fries covering her moth when she spoke.**_

"_**Well people have good instincts. They may not be as nice as they seem. Some people could take advantage of a nice girl like you." Billy said. Robin almost narrowed her eyes but stopped herself. There was nothing unreasonable about what he was saying. The world at large would probably try to work her over. Not the Cullens though, they were her life vest almost.**_

"_**You're right. I'll be careful." she nodded. "So these neighbors of yours are they weird at all?" Billy asked. "Well it is a young couple and they like collect kids. Maybe that is why I am nervous about them. I am pretty independent." She shrugged. What exactly was the old man fishing for? **_

"_**I am all set up outside." Jacob said coming inside. "Alright, well let me finish my food then we can head out." Robin said taking a big bite of her burger. "So you are going to tow her home Jake?" Billy asked. "There is no law saying I can't not yet anyway." Jacob answered sitting down. "You are right about that. You just be careful. Towing can be tricky business if you aren't careful." Billy nodded. Robin raised her brow and set her food down. "If it is a problem I can get a service out here."**_

"_**No Jake's got it all rigged up you two will be just fine." Billy nodded. Robin bit her lip and picked her food up and started to eat again. "You hungry?" Robin offered shielding her mouth. "Sure, you buying?" Jacob asked. "I already bought." She shrugged. "Ok, well I can finish that if you want…" Robin rolled her eye at the comment and motioned the waitress over. "Hey Jake, can I get you anything?" "Can I have my usual to go?" She nodded and left.**_

_**Robin continued to eat savoring the taste of the food filling her empty stomach. Nothing made her appreciate food quite like an empty belly. "Well I will leave you two to it. If your ever up this way swing by." He said kindly to Robin. "For sure, I might just come this way to see you." she smiled and moved to hug the old man before he wheeled out. **_

_**Robin finished her food while Jacob waited. The waitress brought the food while Robin started to stack the plate from her lunch and added Billy's to it. "Well I'll see you later Jake." she smiled. "What about the food?" Jacob asked and the waitress pointed at Robin. She shrugged and stood up. "Ready?" Jacob pulled some crumpled bills out of his pocket and slapped it on the table. "Don't believe in tipping?" he asked. Robin merely shrugged again and headed to the door.**_

"_**No don't just shrug it off, Rose is a nice girl and she gives good service." Jacob said following behind her. "Just leave it alone." Robin sighed. Jacob climbed into the old truck while Robin went around to get in. "Are you sure this thing can tow my car to Platte City?" she sighed. "Yes." Jacob said in a clipped voice as he pulled out a tenderloin sandwich. "Look not that it is any of your business, but I gave the waitress a fifty dollar bill for like a fifteen dollar lunch. twenty if you count yours that is what like a hundred and fifty percent tip? I do believe in tipping but I don't have to explain what and when I do things." Robin snapped.**_

"_**Oh, sorry, I just I don't know." Jacob said starting to drive one handed. "Well, I might not be as big of a bitch as you think I am." Robin snapped crossing her arms over her chest. "I never said you were a bitch." Jacob said through his food. "No, you just assumed I was a white prissy bitch who expects others to dote on me and you didn't want a girl like that on your rez." Robin said turning her head to look out the window her face flushed with anger.**_

"_**That isn't what I thought at all." Jacob sighed. "No then why did you and the five cronies try to give me a scare when I got here earlier?" Robin asked turning to study his profile. "You looked like someone who is banned from the rez that is all. We thought we would make it clear in case you had forgotten from the last time you weren't welcome. Our mistake." Jacob said pulling out another tenderloin sandwich from the to go box. **_

"_**Then why couldn't I just walk where I needed to go sans escort? And why did you insist on driving me home it seems a little hostile." Robin pointed out. "Well my Dad asked me to walk you, and really driving you home seems hostile? You're a pretty girl." He looked over at her grinning. Robin blushed and looked down. She didn't really think of herself as pretty, just as herself. "Well thank you I guess." she said biting the inside of her cheek.**_

"_**Besides, we are childhood friends." He grinned. "Hey buddy eyes on the road." Robin said pointing at the wind shield. "Besides, playing together once does not make us old friends." she added. "You're right, but it is so much more romantic if we were childhood friends. Good story to tell the kids." he chuckled. Robin laughed and shook her head. "Well there is a line if that is what your hoping for." She said thinking about Edward. Not to mention Colten who would probably be all over getting her back now that Edward was MIA.**_

"_**So you have a boyfriend?" Jacob asked. "Well I am not sure, we are sort of fighting and he is like on lockdown. Then there is the ex, and it is a big mess." she sighed. "Oh, well if you change your mind…" he chuckled. "Well you are kinda hot, if you weren't joking I might consider." Robin laughed. "I was being serious." Jacob said sobering up. "Funny." Robin smiled and leaned forward to turn on the radio on. **_

_**They lapsed into silence and Robin was vaguely aware she was singing as she gazed out the window. "So uhh, do you live in Platte City?" Jacob asked. "Uh no off the Interurban." she nodded. "Oh ok well when we get there I need you to tell me where to go." "Ok." Robin nodded. "I like your singing by the way." Jacob grinned looking over at her. "Hardy har, I have no singing talent what so ever." she said flatly. "No for real, it isn't perfect or anything but it is interesting. Sort of like Janice Joplin." Jacob said in earnest. **_

_**Robin couldn't help but smile, not only was Janice a favorite of hers but the old school reference won him major cool points. "Well give get me smoking a pack a day and in twenty years I'll have a career as an impersonator." Robin laughed. "Way to take a compliment." Jacob chuckled. "Well part of my charm I guess. But for real thank you. No one has ever said that about my singing. Oh umm turn left here." She said sitting up straighter in her seat now that they were closer to her house.**_

"_**You are way out here aren't you?" he asked making the turn carefully. "Yeah, but thankfully you just follow this road and the first house is mine." she nodded. "Oh way to give directions." he laughed. "That is me best navigator at Platte County High as voted by my peers." Robin joked. "Oh is this you?" Jacob asked slowing down as they approached the house. "Yep." She pulled her phone out to check the time. She had little less then an hour until school let out. "Ah, subconsciously you want to ask for my number." Jacob laughed. "Or I had an yearning for a time check…" She snorted.**_

"_**Way to wound a man's pride…." he chuckled. "How found of you of your lawn?" he asked making a face. "Why?" she raised her brow. "Well if it is a lot I am going to have to try and back the truck up, if it isn't that important I can just drive up there let the car down and back out after I go through the lawn around the car." he explained. "Well trying to back everything up seems risky and I love that car so lets go with the latter." Robin nodded. "Hey this is a great car, I don't blame you for loving it." Jacob said smiling turning into the drive way. "If it was a Gremlin hatchback I would love it. It was my Dad's his dream car. I am just glad he has good taste." Robin said softly.**_

"_**Ok wait in here while I go set her down and then you are free as a bird. Get it? Bird?" Jacob grinned opening the door. Robin flipped him off and smiled. "Oh look did you get it?" she asked. She had loved that her name wasn't common like Sarah or Samantha. She hated that everyone felt inclined to make reference to a boy in tights, or some cheesy rock song. Jacob only shook his head grinning and left to go set her car down on all four wheels and put in in park. **_

_**Robin got out and looked at her car no worse for the wear. "Thanks for the tow, you sure I can't pay you? At least gas money?" she asked. "How about this, you agree to go out with me on Friday, and I call it even?" Jacob asked. "I don't think I am free on Friday…" she said chewing her lip. "Well why don't you give me your number and I will give you a call then?" he asked. "Jacob there is a line remember." she chuckled trying to keep it light.**_

"_**Well I am great at waiting, and it's Jake. Besides, no cuts for your number one music fan?" He asked leaning against the back of the truck. "I don't think so… but I'll see you around kay?" Robin said shaking her head. He was trying pretty hard. "OK I can see your going to make me work a bit harder for this no problem. I'll see you around." He said pushing off the truck to get in.**_

_**He paused before climbing in and turned to look at her. "Just be careful. Don't get to friendly with those neighbors of yours. They aren't what they seem." he said before disappearing into the cab of the truck. Robin stood there chewing her lip in thought. What the hell was that about? She watched as Jake pulled slightly into the lawn to maneuver around the car before pulling on the drive and disappearing down the road. What exactly did Jake Black think he knew about the Cullens one thing was for sure, she didn't want all of them disappearing like Edward had. She would keep it to herself until she had something better then cryptic questions and warnings.**_

_**Robin went inside and kicked her shoes off then going to let the dogs outside. She grabbed a Coke and went to the kitchen table that had two chess boards joined together. Jasper was teaching her the complex rules he and Emmett played by. She studied the pieces trying to figure out what Jasper's next move would be and what moves she could make to counter it. Her phone started to vibrate and she checked it. Get out here right now from Rosalie.**_

_**Robin checked the time and realized she had lost forty five minutes to the game analysis. Robin went to the deck door and let the dogs in before scurrying outside. "What the hell did you do to the starter?" Rosalie exclaimed to the popped hood. "I don't know I just got in it after some shopping and it wouldn't start." Robin shrugged as she walked closer. "Ew gross did you give the dogs a bath or something?" Rosalie asked. "No do I smell?" she made a face.**_

"_**Forget it. I can fix this easy." Rosalie sighed. "Hey Robin want to go into town for something with me and Jazz?" Alice said her amber eyes sparkling. "Ok yeah sure." Robin shrugged. "You ok here?" Robin asked looking at Rosalie. "Yes…" she said tersely. Emmett's face fell and he went to Rosalie's side for damage control. Robin sighed and went to climb in the car with Jasper and Alice.**_

"_**What do you need from Platte City?" Robin asked. "Oh there is a package that wouldn't fit in the mail box and they didn't want to leave it." Alice shrugged her face crinkling. "Robin?" "hmm?" she asked looking at Alice her brow raised. "You shower today?" she asked and Jasper grinned. "Yeah I did. Thanks for asking sorry I smell less yumtastic then usual." she snapped. She sat back into her seat and started to fall into conversation with Jasper about there game.**_

_**Once Alice was in town she sped through not worrying about the cop and went to the post office. Robin groaned seeing the beat up brown Mazda. "What is the matter?" Jasper asked looking at her. "That is Colten's car." she explained. "Oh that is the ex right?" he asked and Robin nodded. "Well let's go say hello." Jasper chuckled. Robin sighed and climbed out of the car with the others. "Thank you in advance." Alice murmured and moved to walk by Robin's side rather then Jasper's as Colten exited.**_

"_**Wow, you done with Edward and moved on to the Hale model of the Cullen family tree?" Colten asked tersely. "Wow, that was just wow Colten. Spiteful." Robin stammered her mouth hanging open. "Well I guess a guy gets that right when he girlfriend turns into a slut. Where is Edward maybe he can join the club." Colten said crossing his arms. "Colten shut up." Robin said clenching her fist. Jasper placed his hand on her arm and Robin had to bite the inside of her cheek to retain her anger.**_

"_**Don't worry bro once she moves on you can be a card carrying member too." Colten spat. Robin's vision started to spot in anger. "Shut your mouth before I shut it for you by turning it to hamburger." Robin threatened. Jasper's hand fell away from her arm and she made a face. If she so much as bloodied his nose Jasper would loose it. "You know what Colten? You aren't worth it. Edward is on a little trip, unlike you he doesn't stick to me so much I suffocate. Why do you think I needed space? I needed someone to be with me while I was going through a rough time but not someone who makes it all about them." Robin said shoving past him to go inside.**_

_**Alice and Jasper followed right behind her and Robin pushed the air form her body in frustration. "You ok?" Alice asked rubbing Robin's arms. "Yeah. Just a little confused…" she looked at Alice and lowered her voice. "if you knew that was going to happen then why invite me?" Robin asked. "The package is addressed to you." Alice grinned. "I said it before and I will say it again, if he wants to give me stuff he can come home to do it." Robin fumed tapping the counter with her fingers hearing more customers file in. "Let's leave we are holding up the line." "Miss someone has to take this, there is no return address." The postal worker said snapping her gum at them.**_

"_**She will take it. After all I came home to give it to her." a heart wrenching familiar voice said behind her. Robin spun nearly knocking into Edward in the process. She threw her arms around his neck and pressed his cool lips to hers giving him several intense pecks tugging at his lower lip. Then she realized she was angry at him and pushed herself away slapping him in the face. She looked at Alice and Jasper and scoffed. She moved past Edward and torn out of the post office.**_

_**She started jogging past the car down the grassy slope to the main road out of town. Fuck them she would walk, stupid traders she thought fuming. Though she did smile walking opposite of Colten with a flat tire via pine cone.**_


	9. Chapter 9

I had to take a little break but I hope to post a nice strong chapter in a few days or so. I hope my fans love the new chapter and review.

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"Edward get back in the car right now!" Robin yelled frustrated at Edward lagging behind her. "Not until you get back into the car." Edward said grabbing Robin's arm around her wrist stopping her in her tracks. "Let go of me!" Robin hissed. "Look can you both just get back in the car I am driving like two miles an hour." Alice cut in. "Hey you keep out of this you traitor! You knew he was going to show up like that. 'Oh come to town with us.'" Robin said mocking Alice in her anger. She narrowed her eyes and pointed at Jasper. "Don't you even think about it, I mean it Jazz." Robin said pointing at Jasper with her free hand. He held up his hands in defense and tried his best to look innocent, "Never crossed my mind." He chuckled. "Oh this is funny to you? I am out here freezing my ass off and you guys just set me up to look like a foolish fool who foolishly fell into the trap." Robin screamed waving her hand in the air.

"If you are so cold then get into the car." Edward said pulling her towards the car. "I am not that cold." Robin said flatly. "Robin, please." Edward said softly. "Think about what Esme or Carlisle would say…" Alice chimed in. Robin sighed biting the inside of her cheek. Edward had left her stone cold with no warning. There was nothing that he could say that would make her forgive him. Edward's face twisted and he released her wrist. "I will walk home, get in the car." He said softly. "Except that doesn't solve the problem of riding with the traitors!" Robin screamed at the car. "GET IN THE CAR!" Edward snarled at her. Robin could feel her heart palpitating in her chest and scrambled into the car that Alice had screeched to a halt even at that speed.

Once she was safely inside Edward went a little blurry and then suddenly he was nowhere to be seen. "What the fuck is his problem?" Robin scoffed as Alice pulled away from the side of the road. "I don't think that was the welcome home he exactly had in mind." Jasper chuckled. "Yeah well you know, he shouldn't have left. I will never forgive him for it. Ever." Robin said crossing her arms over her chest. Alice scoffed and then suddenly found the road ahead much more interesting than it had ever been before when Robin looked at her. "I hate you sometimes." Robin grumbled. "Oh you know you love me." Alice chimed in looking at her. "What is more that you love Edwa…" "Alice!" Robin warned shaking her head. "You really are mad at him?" Alice asked turning onto their street. Robin got on her knees and turned in her seat. "Jazz how much would I have to pay you to rough up Edward?" Robin cooed sweetly.

"That much huh?" he laughed and shook his head. "How about this, as soon as you can beat me at two board chess we'll talk." Robin balled up her fist and punched his shoulder lightly so she wouldn't hurt herself. "You suck, you know that is a total cop out. It will take me an entire lifetime to beat you in two board chess." Robin whined turning back in her seat. "Right?" she asked looking over at Alice. Alice just grinned and shrugged. "You really are a traitor, you been telling Jazz my moves!" Robin said after a few seconds of silence. "Hey, we have been a team longer then you have been alive." Jasper laughed. Alice turned onto the gravel road they lived on and looked over at her. "So does that mean I have to tell Esme you aren't coming over tonight?" Robin made a face and shook her head. "Tch, as if. I will just have to win despite the fact that Jasper is a cheater cheater pumpkin eater."

"You really aren't going to address this Edward situation are you?" Alice asked pulling into her drive way the Aston Martin now pulled into the garage. At least Rosalie had come through for her today. "Why he didn't address our situation, which I am not even for sure what the situation really was. So why should I address this situation?" She asked shifting her gaze between Jasper and Alice. "You don't know why he left?" Alice asked flatly looking at Robin her dark brow raised. "I have a vague idea yeah. But you know what until he cowboys up I am not going to either." Robin defended herself. "Wouldn't that be cowgirls for you?" Jasper chuckled trying to lighten the mood.

Robin popped the door open and rolled her eyes. "Nice one, Jazz ham and cheese on that one. I will be by after I do my stuff unless you guys don't want me to come over." Robin said stepping out of the car then pushing the door closed to go inside the house.

After she let the dogs out and put food in their bowls Robin headed upstairs to the art room and pushed the door open. If the ornaments weren't going to pan out she would just have to come up with something Esme would love just as much. She pulled her longer bangs back and clipped them behind her head as she stared at the white canvas.

After a few seconds she picked up her hand and started to sketch in her mind seven abstract looking sunflowers. After her mind filled in the flowers it started to fill in the details of soft golden field of wheat in the background of the painting. She opened her eyes and looked at the clean canvas the image she had already painted burning in her mind's eye waiting to be unleashed by her brushes. She smiled and moved away from the canvas and went to the cabinets and started to sort through her different colors of paint trying to decide which colors she should use. She selected a dandelion yellow and a rich mahogany color and started to mix the two colors trying to get her desired golden, mostly yellow with a touch of the brown then. After she was satisfied with how the color dried she picked up her palette and moved to the canvas again.

Once she had filled in the canvas with nice even strokes she set her palette aside and went downstairs to let in the dogs who were barking in protest at the rainy weather. "Well get in here." Robin grumbled. Once inside they ran to their bowls digging in snouts first and Robin chuckled. Food didn't sound like an entirely bad idea, the cheese burger at the rez seemed light years away. She went to the pantry and pulled out a box of mac-and-cheese. "Just add peas and you have a meal fit for a king." Robin laughed grabbing a can of peas from the shelf below.

She out a pan of water on the stove to boil and turned it up then feeling her phone ring. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and watched as it scrolled a number she didn't know across the display screen. "Hello?" She asked pressing the phone to her ear. "Robin?" A deep rich voice asked back. "Yeah, who the hell is this?" she asked dumping the noodles into the boiling water. "Uh…" the voice coughed and Robin raised her brow, was she getting a prank call? "Uhh what?" she asked after a few second. "This is Jake, Jake Black."

"Oh, well hey. How did you get this number?" she asked stirring the noodles with a spoon. "I got it from Clancy, I just wanted to make sure your car was alright." He mumbled out. "Are you sure that is why you called you sound a little nervous to be calling about my car." She mused. "Well that is only part of it. Remember I said you were a pretty girl." He laughed. "Remember there is a line, and it starts with oh I don't know my boyfriend." Robin sighed moving the noodles off the heat to drain them over the sink.

"So you two are on the outs I take it?" Jake asked with a note of hope in his voice. "No, we are fine." She protested going back to the oven to stir in the butter and milk. "Well that is too bad… you sure you don't want to change your mind? No ok it will just make a more romantic story for our grandchildren." He chuckled. "Right, when you say stuff like that it freaks me out and sort of scares me that you got my number." Robin chuckled. "Oh stop playing hard to get. No seriously, now you have my number if you know, anything comes up." He said suddenly getting very serious and sort of dark on his last statement.

"You know ominous and scary isn't your thing Jake. You should keep it light and fun. I like you better that way." Robin laughed dumping the peas into the mixed up mac-and-cheese. "AHA! You do like me." Jake exclaimed and Robin chuckled imagining him pumping his fist in the air. "Whatever, I am going to hang up now and eat my dinner Jake." Robin said rolling her eyes. "Ok, well just call me … you know if you want." Robin laughed and hung her phone up. He was strangely persistent, about everything.

Robin sat down on the counter and started to eat her noodle dinner and made a face. "This is awful! Why did I think it would rock?" She said throwing her spoon into the bowl. She slopped the food into the dog bowels thankful they would eat anything.

Robin went to the pantry and grabbed a can of soup and smiled. "Good old chicken and stars." She chuckled and then put it away. The last childhood favorite she had made turned out to be a bust. "Come on how bad can chicken soup be?" Edward's voice asked from behind her. Robin spun around and bit the inside of her cheek. "Hey." She said after a few minutes. "Hello." Edward said smoothly reaching past her and coming back with the soup.

Robin shook her head and side stepped Edward. She had longed for him to come back. Yet there he stood in the kitchen and all Robin could feel at him was anger. "Well it is better than feeling nothing." Edward offered and started to open the can. "What are you doing?" she asked licking her lips.

"You are hungry and you want chicken soup. I am making chicken soup. It will be good I promise." Edward said holding the open can in one had getting a pan to cook it in. "Really when was the last time you had chicken soup?" Robin snapped. Edward dumped the soup in the pan and then added some water. "Never, not in this manner at least." He said turning the heat on the stove.

"Ok well, that is all well and good, but why are you making the soup?" she asked putting her hands on her hips. What was he playing at? Did he think he could just waltz in there and make her chicken and stars like he hadn't left her all alone for some mysterious reason.

Edward sighed and turned around. "Robin…" he started. Robin moved and went to the kitchen table and leaned against it looking towards the door then to Edward and back at the door. "You want me to leave?" Edward asked. Robin bit her lip, no she wanted things between them to be good. "Then let me make them good." Edward said moving to encircle Robin in his arms. She looked into his topaz eyes and sighed, not a happy sigh, or a I forgive you sigh. "You really are annoyed with me?" Edward asked. Robin nodded and stayed silent.

If he wanted to be forgiven he had a long way to go. "I am sorry; just the way you looked at me and said you only saw one option…." Edward began and both of Robin's dark eyebrow disappeared into her hair line. Was he really having a panic attack over commitment issues? "I don't want you that committed." Edward said flatly. Robin's face hardened and she tried to push him away to no avail. Edward wasn't the type of guy you just date, but if he didn't want to commit to her then what was he doing?

"I ask myself all the time. You deserve better." Edward said smoothing her hair. "Then why did you come back?" Robin asked jerking her head away from him. "I couldn't stay away." He said grinning at her. Robin took a deep breath why did he have to be so damn… well there were no words to really describe him. Edward kissed the corner of her mouth grinning wider now. "Oh you are so not forgiven trust me." Robin grumbled. "What if I really do make chicken soup?" he chuckled.

Robin made a face and pushed against him. "I take it with a bunch and I mean a bunch of saltines." She sighed her face corkscrewing in defeat. Edward smiled at her and Robin sighed, he kept smiling and his smile was becoming more victorious with each passing second. "Well…" Edward began smugly. "You know what, just…" Robin pointed at him then her hand formed a claw then went back to wagging her finger before she turned storming out of the kitchen upstairs.

Robin turned the stereo on the Scene Aesthetic started to play softly as she sat down in front of the canvas. After she was satisfied with the relative dryness of the first coat of the back drop she started to coat another second one on top. Her sure even strokes covered the canvas quickly and easily. She turned the ionic fan on to help the process and moved to sit in an overstuffed chair with her sketch book and oil pastels. It didn't take long for her long stems to drape over the arm of the chair her foot jingling to the music as she drew her flowers. Seven sunflowers the top most sunflower's center was pure black and the bottom most one had a topaz center the intermediate flowers would have a mix of the two.

"You are pretty good on your own you know that?" Edward asked from behind her. Robin turned her head to find him gazing at her from the door frame bowl in hand. "Been there long?" Edward shook his head and offered her the gelatinous mix of a pack of saltines in a can of soup. "Thanks." Robin smiled at him lifting the spoon from the bowl to her mouth. Inside her mouth the mush was cold and too salty. Edward crookedly grinned at her looking through his long lashes. "I might have been watching for longer then I let on."

"Loser." She grunted and kept eating the horrible mix anyway. "Why don't you let me take you to dinner? I know you like Italian…" he prodded. "Can't" Robin said shaking her head her mouth grimacing. She had vampires to see, chess games to win, outfits to plan, a whole evening. "They will be fine without you for one single night I am sure." Edward mused. "I don't know, I…" she bit her lip and looked at the bowl. If she said that she had grown very accustomed, well to really like, if she was going to be honest, love his family he might freak out and run again. "will just eat this." She shook her head. Edward took the bowl and raised his brow. "I might freak out if you don't eat something other than mush, cold mush." He smiled at her crookedly. "I am not the one who can't make canned soup there buddy." Robin snorted.

Edward sighed and pulled her to her feet. "Don't be so stubborn." He shook his head pulling on her arm. "You must have forgotten what I was like on your little vaca Edward." He brought her to his chest and took a deep breath burying his face in her short hair. "On the contrary you haunted me every day. I spent a small fortune buying things for you, all to picture your smile." "And yet coming home would have been free." Robin retorted pulling out of his arms and turning. "And it would have made me smile more." She said glancing over her shoulder as she left the art room bowl in hand.

First thing was first she needed to get some food in her stomach, something edible and hot. Then she would make sure she looked alright and head over to hang out with Rosalie and Emmett, at least they hadn't betrayed her today. Maybe by then she would cool down and be more reasonable and less susceptible to Edward's affections. She couldn't keep riding the roller coaster where she was so furious at him and so dazzled within seconds of each other it was too tiring. "Edward…" Robin said pausing on the stairs and turning her head to look at her silent boyfriend, only to find him absent. "Doesn't that boy know how to use a door?" she wondered aloud.

Thirty minutes later Robin was the proud owner of a full stomach and a wet head of hair as she climbed out of her car and made her way to the Cullen front door. "Yo, yo, yiggity yo?" She called out opening the door into the Cullen home. At this point Robin was far beyond knocking with the Cullen clan and they had never knocked, so it was merely a formality. "Hey, I am in here!" Emmett grunted from the front room and Robin made her way into the roomy living room. Surprisingly Emmett was the only person in the room his finger seemingly unmoving while the channels flipped through too fast for her eye to track. Her enormous friend was stretched out on his stomach on the couch his head resting on his folded arm.

The leggy brunette knocked into the vampire's legs for him to move, but he only grinned lazily at her. "Lame sauce you know that Em?" Robin asked sitting down in front of the couch. "So where is everyone or is it just us tonight?" she asked leaning her head back so it touched his stone thigh. "Well Carlisle is at work, Jasper and Alice are having alone time…" Robin made a gross face and shook her head. "Jealous?" Emmett asked looking at her wiggling his brows. "Not at all I am getting alone time with you Em, now take off your fangs and lift your skirt a little higher for me?" Robin shot at him her face a strange mix of mild amusement and disgust. "You know I like you." Emmett said grinning at her. "What can I say? My milkshake brings all the vamps to the yard." She grinned and reached over grabbing the remote so channel surfing would be at her speed.

"So at leaves half unaccounted for, so where are they?" Robin asked stretching her legs out in front of her. "Well Rose is test driving the Lotus, she rebuilt the engine I guess. Esme is out buying stuff to remodel the kitchen. E…." he stopped abruptly and returned his gaze to the television. "It's ok, I have seen him, uh twice." Robin said holding up her pointer and index finger. "Oh, well do you want to uh talk about it?" Emmett asked meeting Robin's eyes. "Sure as shit don't." she shook her head. She needed time to think and get her head straight, she didn't need anyone else in her head at the moment. "You want to play Super Smash Brothers on the Wii?" he asked grinning at her sitting up. "Hell yes I do." She smiled pushing herself off the ground to grab two Wiimotes. "Have I told you that you are my favorite lately?" Robin asked tossing him one. "Not lately no." Emmett grinned turning his controller on before she could. "P1 baby." He laughed. "I hate you, you know that?" Robin laughed sitting on the couch heavily.

"First Jazz then you…." Robin shouted as she frantically swung her wiimote. Emmett laughed as he finished the last of the girl's life. Robin growled in frustration and threw the controller away from her. "You suck." "Don't hate because I have better skills at life." Emmett taunted. "News flash you aren't alive." Robin growled lulling her head to look at him. "Well then you are admitting to sucking so bad that you lost to a dead man." He chuckled at her. "Whatever." Robin said pushing herself off the couch so she could go to the kitchen. She grabbed a coke from the fridge and popped it open. She took a swig and moved back to the living room. "So I am pretty tired of…" she paused seeing Edward standing in by the coffee table.

"Hey." She said giving a nod to him. "Hello." He said softly. "Uhhh…" Emmett said from the couch standing up effortlessly. Robin pulled her lower lip into her mouth and took a deep breath. She had to talk to him and set things straight, "It's ok Em." "Em it is alright." Robin and Edward said at the same time. "Riiight." Emmett said rolling his eyes. "No really we are going to go talk upstairs in Edward's room." Robin nodded. "Oh go get her big boy." Emmett laughed as Robin mounted the stairs her soda in hand.

Robin entered Edward's room for the first time since she had slept over; the bed he had ordered was set up with lots of pillows and a beautiful bed set. "I am glad you like it." Edward said as Robin set her soda on the bed side table and then climbed onto the bed. "Yeah it is nice." She nodded licking her lips nervously. What would she say to him? That him leaving had felt like a part of her heart had been taken from her again? That she had had trouble sleeping without his fingers running through her hair? That no matter what she was always to hot? That she had just settled into things without him and she couldn't bear to have him up and leave again? "Robin…." Edward cut into her thoughts. "Right. I forgot that…" she sighed.

"It's ok, I didn't forget how it could be with you." Edward said softly. Robin flopped onto her back and sighed. "Edward. I know you are afraid of… I don't know? I mean Carlisle and I had a talk…" she sighed unable to put into words how she felt. "I am worried about you getting so attached that you won't live your life." Edward said reaching over his cool hand resting on her stomach. "I am attached, but because something about you helps me live my life." She never felt more like her old self than when she was palling around with his family, she was happy holding his hand or tracing patterns into his pants.

"I am not saying forever… I don't think I am. Forever is a long time and I am not even sure where I want to go to school. But for now, can't it be enough that I love you and want to be with you?" she asked placing her hand on top of his. "I am just worried about when for now turns into forever." He said softly. Robin smiled and looked up at him. "You have been in here, you know how fast my mind changes." She teased. "Not to fast I hope." He responded. "Well it depends on if you kept the coat or not." Robin joked. "Not, it is hanging in the closet, Alice told Esme to not to bother returning it." He grinned crookedly at her. "I guess that means that I don't have to pay Jazz or Em to rough you up." She joked.

"Does that mean you love me again?" Edward asked moving to lay beside her. "I guess… it does mean I love you again." She sighed playfully. Edward grinned and picked her hand up and kissed it tenderly. "Stop…" Robin whined but made no attempt to free her hand. Edward placed another cool kiss on her hand and the pale girl flushed with warmth. Robin sighed and rolled over to lie on top of Edward. "Now see what you have done? I am entirely too warm." She placed a kiss on his strong jaw line. Robin sighed in contentment this smell of fresh and pure Edward filling her button nose.

After a few seconds Robin felt intoxicated by his smell and started to kiss his neck were his pulse should have been racing. She gave a playful nip before she started to suckle at his neck mimicking a vampire feeding. Below her she heard Edward growl, but not in anger it was something different as his thin fingers skirted the hem of her shirt but never crossing the invisible boundary. Robin moved her mouth to his kissing him fiercely her hands finding the buttons of his shirt and working them open with surprisingly sure fingers.

Edward gave another low rumble causing Robin to giggle into the kiss and before she knew it Edward had used his strength to place her under him with only briefly parting their lips. The stormy grey of Robin's eyes drank in Edwards hard marble chiseled body before running her hands up his strong core her flesh blazing against his. With passion Edward bore his mouth to hers and the girl closed her eyes opening his mouth tugging on his lower lip. After a few seconds of teasing Edward's tongue moved into her mouth surprising her with its softness and skill; almost a velvet oasis in a sea of marble. After a few seconds Edward moved his mouth to travel her neck causing Robin's heart to palpitate irregularly in her chest. Within a matter of seconds he found a ticklish spot and continued to tease it becoming pleased with her soft giggles. After a few minutes of abusing her sweet spot the giggles turned into soft moans and Edward stiffened above her. "What is the matter?" Robin asked her eyes opening at her solid boyfriend. "I think you should go…. School in the morning, you have missed a lot lately and this is your only go around." He said moving off of her in an instant. "I could just stay, I be good I promise." She said sitting up on her knees.

"I don't think it would be a good idea. I will be by in the morning to pick you up though if you want." He said tensely. "Umm ok, see you in the morning." Robin said moving off the bed. Had she done something wrong? Was she a bad kisser? She wondered leaving the room biting her kiss swollen lips. "Alright…. Now there is a one half of a happy couple." Alice teased from the couch. "What are you talking about? If I was happy I would still be up there." Robin sighed. "Don't worry you didn't do anything wrong Giggles." Emmett teased and received a high five from Jasper. Robin flipped them the bird and shook her head. "So I take it you are to, umm entirely too warm to play chess tonight." Jasper asked. "Go eff yourself Jazz." Robin said slipping her shoes on. "Oh no you see that is an activity I do with a partner, unlike you tonight." "Whatever, see you in the morning." Robin mumbled leaving the Cullen house.

One thing was for sure, as much as she hated to admit it Jazz was probably right about how she might finish her night out.


End file.
